Fire
by LycheeRambutan
Summary: My delayed 2016 NaNoWriMo. A long winding crack. For better read, check my other fics. This is gonna be messy in plot and writing since it's being written on a whim. Oh, and I like to genderbend my characters.
1. Chapter 1 - Beginning

**Chapter 1**

Sasuke woke up sweating, he had been having the same recurring dream of red eyes looking at him from outside his parents home. The eyes were dotted with commas swirling and mesmerizing him, and then he had felt cold clamouring his skin. He wanted to approach the eyes and so he approached it, but then instead of reaching the eyes he tumbled down and down and down. He woke before he fell into the darkness in his dream.

He wiped away the sweat sticking to his pale skin and wrenching his dark locks. Sasuke combed his long bangs to the back of his head, he reached for his black scrunchie which he tied onto the knob of his bed frame by habit. He tied his long bangs onto the back of his head so he was wearing his hair in a half ponytail.

Breathing hard and frowning he reached for his hand towel which hung on the end of his bed frame near his feet and wiped his face and neck. He then noticed that the white singlet which he wore to sleep was soaked with his sweat and Sasuke then noticed that the ceiling fan wasn't spinning. So he stood and switched on the light but the light wasn't working too. He became uncomfortable from his sticky singlet and so took it off.

Sasuke was sure he had paid his electricity bill on time and so he went to the fusebox located in the living room of his apartment and opened the box. His room was dark, but as his apartment faced the other block, he still received a little light from the corridors light of the neighbouring block which made everything still visible. Through the low light he saw that all the fuses looked normal and there was no sign that any electrical appliance in his apartment had caused an overload of electricity.

Sasuke then grabbed for his work backpack and grabbed his USB fan along with his power bank. He put them together and opened the sliding door to his living room. He sat down and switched on his USB fan. In between the warmth of the living room and the wind of the USB fan he was getting comfortable.

Sasuke decided to sleep on the bamboo mat in his living room, he had no roommates despite the house being a four bedroom house. Before he lay on the bamboo mat, he took the fleece cloth from his sofa and lay it on the mat, and then he grabbed for a sofa cushion to use as his pillow.

He decided to resolve the electric issue later when the sun is up and started thinking about his dream. The dream had not appeared in his sleep for almost month until today. It had been scary at first but now it was something which intrigued him. The red eyes with the swirling commas had become like a puzzle for him, he realized after a few times of dreaming about it that he could approach it. But every time he was close he would be pulled away. Somehow he was never able to reach the eyes and so it became just another dream for him.

Sasuke also never thought about sharing his dreams with his co-workers, it was just something he preferred to keep to himself. He didn't care if people see him as crazy because of the dream, it was just that there was nothing that his friends could offer about the dreams. Some of his friends like Ino and Sai, would love to interpret his dream but he didn't see it as something worth sharing. Then again Sasuke was never really close with his friends since they were also his co-workers, the only person he was comfortable enough to spend after work hours was with Neji. Neji never went overdose about anything, but Neji does not also entertain things like dreams. He once said to Ino that dreams are your deepest desires, so why should you let someone else interpret your dreams and know your deepest desire. Don't wear your heart on your sleeve.

Sasuke's body temperature began to cool down as the heat of the night escaped through the window. He ignored the clock and made an assumption that it was about 2-3 am in the morning since he was still sleepy. Sasuke had no problem falling back to sleep since he had nothing to think about for tomorrow because tomorrow was a long weekend and he had no plans yet. His parents weren't in Konoha and had flown along with his newly married brother for a two in one honeymoon trip. Meaning his brother flew for his honeymoon trip while his parents tag along, the senior Uchiha would stay with an old friend in Kuala Lumpur while the newlyweds would head to tropical Langkawi for a week getaway. They will rejoin the senior Uchiha later when they would return to Konoha. Sasuke had declined since he had been forced by his best friend Sakura to go to a blind date as her chaperone. She didn't want to bring her parents along since she didn't want to be nagged for being a 26 year old unmarried woman and being heckled into marriage with a stranger.

Sasuke closed his eyes and went to sleep thinking how silly Sakura was of thinking too much about marriage when working woman are normal to be marrying late these days. He thought Sakura could have handled her parents better by being more straightforward with them instead of giving them excuses about work and there's no one to meet.

Soon Uchiha Sasuke was asleep and the red eyes never came again into his dream that day.

NANOWRIMONANOWRIMONANOWRIMO

"Hey Naruko, here!" Shion waved at her best friend who had just finished her last class of the day. Shion checked her watched and saw that she had been waiting for Naruko for half an hour and so enquired again. "Held up by Kakashi-san? Anyway, what are you doing today?"

Naruko grimaced and sat in front of her pal. She made a delighted face at the bowl of ramen which Shion was eating and asked. "Waah, you didn't wait for me?"

"I was starving, I didn't have lunch since Kakashi-san also held our class late earlier today.

Naruko made an apologetic face and said, "i'm sorry that I couldn't accompany you for lunch. I was already late from the audition.

Shion pushed the bowl towards her friend and Naruko shook her head and instead head to the hot food counter to order her own ramen. The two blondes were degree students of Konoha University had been best friends since high school and then had worked for the same company, in different departments. Shion worked in the Human Resource department as a senior clerk while Naruko had worked as a photographer with the Media and Publicity Department. At the age of 21 they both thought they wanted more from work so had decided to apply for scholarships from Konoha for underprivileged people and had succeeded in their interviews. For being excellent workers, their company, Sarutobi Toys had also promised that they could take half salaried study leave instead of quitting work.

"I want more chicken in my ramen, thanks for the offer anyway Shion," Naruko sat back on her chair. She pushed aside her file onto her left and sghed.

"Kakashi-san asked us to think about Interning plans. I thought I wanted to intern at Sarutobi Toys but Kakashi-san said this could be our chance to try a prestigious company." 

Shion nodded, "we could easily intern at Sarutobi Toys but I always wanted to work at Hyuga corporation. They had branches in fourteen countries you know. Why don't you try Uchiha Works? It's near to your Godmother's house, you can save on money and we can go travel right after we finish studies. I am bored of being a broke student," Shion laughed at her own words.

"Shhh, don't talk so loud. You'll annoy these poor students. Talking about finishing our studies, we have another year before we graduate right? How time flies," Naruko remarked.

The food server hollered for Naruko's name and she got up and fetched her bowl of ramen from the hot food counter.

"Thanks for the delicious meal she said. Iruka-san you are the best!" Naruko gave a thumbs up at the server. He was also the cook at the cafe which was located in between the School of Mass Communication where Naruko studied and the School of Office Management where Shion attended.

"Where are we heading after this? You haven't answered my question," Shion said. She had finished her ramen and had now untied her ponytail and retired her waist long hair into a messy bun.

"Maybe we can go to lunch, I still have Kiba's car since he hadn't returned from his swimming competition. Itadakimasu," Naruko said as she started eating her ramen.

"Yeah, go eat. I need to check my text messages anyway. I am hoping mom won't come this weekend since my room is a mess."

Naruko paused and reassured her friend, "Don't worry I am here for you. I am not going anywhere tomorrow, so we can clean your room before your mom's 'surprise visit' every other week.

Shion retired her long bleached blonde hair into a tighter knot and shook her head to check whether her knot would hold. After she was sure that the knot was secure she said. "Maybe we should go home after this and clean things up. My sister is asking me if I am free this weekend," she said while scrolling down her phone.

Naruko slurped her bowl down and wiped her lips. "No worries, no let's go to the mall, our half salary is coming tomorrow and so i can spare a few yens today. I found this really cute dress to wear to the party."

Shion's eyes bulged and she shrieked, "i totally forgot about the Faculty party. I am repeating my dress, you still going with me right?"

"Hey of course, the boys in our class are waaaay too young for me and I can't come with Kakashi-san though he's like our friend since there can't be student-teacher affair."

"Yeah, ok." Shion said as she began tapping on her phone. "I am telling my mom right now that I can't come home the weekend of the party."

Shion's mom lived just an hour away from here so she was often in her daughter's face, since Shion was the baby of the family. Her two oldest sister never worried her mother this much.

"I am freaking 26 and my mother acts like I am 15. Ughhh."

"Lucky you," Naruko sighed as usual.

So Shion realizing her mistake apologized as usual, "i am so sorry babe. This is the last time i am grumbling about my nosy mother."

"No worries," Naruko waved her friends away. "She was ok with people forgetting that she had no parents, since she never met them she didn't know how it felt to have parents. Thought she had grew up feeling abandoned the feeling of having nagging parents was something she sometimes wished she had known, but sometimes she was happy with being like this. Fortunately for the sunny haired girl, she had a godmother who came into her life when she was fifteen and in secondary school. The aunt was almost never around as she had a large company to oversee an hour away from Konoha University. But she was at every important day of Naruto's life like her secondary school graduation.

The girls headed to Naruko's borrowed car and they got inside. As Naruko began setting her things and letting the engine warm up, Shion asked, "Do you ever wonder why we don't have boyfriends, Naruko?"

Naruko held onto the steering and blinked hard. It was a misnomer to call themselves boyfriend-less since Shion had someone hanging onto her like a leech, a way younger guy which Naruko couldn't recall his name. But it was still true so Naruko decided to entertain her friend.

"Maybe because we are thinking about studies too much?

"That's true. I want something for my future before marriage. What are the other reasons?"

"Maybe because our classmates are years younger than us? We are 26 and they are mostly 22-23? Don't think about it too much, they will come when they come."

Shion laughed and adjusted her seat. "Well, I was just thinking. Well, let's go spend our last yens before the half pay comes. I am getting myself a few new panties, mine are torn."

"That's TMI Shion, that's why we don't have boyfriends, because we are independent girls." Naruko said and drove the car out of the faculty.

Shion laughed and decided to change the topic into what kind of orange dress was good enough for a party since people would normally wear black.

NANOWRIMONANOWRIMONANOWRIMO

2

Sonic was busy arranging things in her small apartment which she shared with Genos. She was turning 26 and had moved in with Genos not long after the Battle of the Monsters last year. She and Genos had decided to try it out living together in another city while Saitama went with Fubuki to discover more about the cause of the Battle of the Monsters to avoid future recurrence.

Genos as usual was reluctant to part with Saitama, but Sonic who everyone was sure was dead during the War was revived by a dying monster and turned Genos' objective 360. With his beloved sensei on one head heading for the world and a still weak Sonic needing care, Genos was swayed towards Sonic. They had become close and often flirted with each other. Somehow their closeness made Sonic realize that the world would be better with someone like Genos, and Sonic had helped the Hero Association in the Battle of the Monsters.

The War had been caused by an upsurge of Monsters which was born by the seconds, Saitama had been caught in a 24 hour fight with a hundred monsters inside a cave which kept regenerating every few seconds while the rest of the heroes kept the others at bay. Sonic had been caught in a fight and was down near the end of the fight. Genos was devastated but couldn't stop to retrieve Sonic's body and a few minutes later Saitama ended his hundred monsters fight and saw Genos almost down. He was affected by Genos' plight and had wiped all the monster in a few series of explosive punches.

Sonic shook the memories away, she was trying to arrange the plates on the dish rack according to the hue of the rainbow but the ghost pain in her legs kept her thinking of the past. Sonic had always been a fighter, but the Battle of the Monsters had given her more scars than she ever had in her lifetime. The pain had disappeared but the memories kept returning sometimes when her scars tightened with skin growth and constant movement.

She quickly arranged the ten plates in varying sizes onto the dish rack and went to the living room to unpack the rest of their boxes. Usually it's Genos who did the cleaning and arranging but today the hero was out for a fitness test with Konoha's own Hero Association. Genos had been personally invited by Tsunade-san the Governor of Konoha to be a member of the Association. Genos saw it as an opportunity to investigate more about their new home country but Sonic declined.

Sonic didn't want to be tied down with being a Hero so she did freelance jobs as a private investigator and does security check ups for private buildings. Anyway, she was still on medical leave and attending physical therapy because she wasn't able to run at the speed of sound like before, so he compensated by doing domestic things around the house while Genos goes out.

There were five boxes to be unpacked, a box of new kitchen utensils which Genos received from Saitama. In return, Genos had gifted Saitama with a box of crabs from. The other four boxes were, Geno's diaries, their clothes, computer and gadgets and gifts from the Hero Association.

Sonic's home was totally obliterated during the Battle of the Monsters, Saitama and Genos' too. Not just them, most of the other heroes' houses were damaged beyond repair. So they all stayed together during the first months of post-battle, at the Hero Association's out of city quarters. Sonic was itching to get back to his faraway ninja village but she was in no condition to travel, so he roomed with Genos and Saitama.

Saitama and Genos began plotting their next move, but Saitama told Genos to go live his life for awhile. Genos was already in a hate-like relationship with Sonic and Saitama saw a potential between the two. After months of deliberation and Genos discovering that he would like to be with Sonic too for now, though it meant being away from Saitama, the trio part ways.

At first after he fully recovered physically Sonic went home with Flash back to her ninja village. After a few months of finding that she was no longer adept at staying home, and home felt wherever her heart was, Sonic came back to the city which had been rebuilt. Saitama was already gone and only Genos was there having been under maintenance.

They both decided to be together and tried to be roomies at first, until Genos received an invitation to be a guest Hero at Konoha's newly established Hero Association. The former ninja village was now being constantly hounded by monsters and had taken an initiative to defend its cities in the aftermath of the Battle Of The Monsters which damaged cities B,C,D and E.

So now Sonic found himself in a living room setting life inside an apartment with a cyborg for an indefinite period of time. Sonic never thought of time as a period of a year, a few years or decade. She had always been spontaneous and her current situation was never planned and also spontaneous.

There was no one to describe the fact that Sonic would hate her new life, but she realized that her entire life centered around spontaneity was going to have to change. She saw Genos as potential lover but the boy was too deep rooted in his loyalty to Saitama to ever care about a lady ninja. She had been nothing but a menace at first, but time and their constant friction had changed something inside the boy.

Sonic didn't unpack the box of Genos' diary and just carried it into the second bedroom which was to be Genos'. She laid the box in a corner and continued to unpack another box where their few clothes were packed in. She carried the box and entered the first room. Each room had its own closet to hang their clothes in and a standing rack which they had nailed to the wall. Sonic took the first few folded clothes and set them on the futon just next to the closet. She grabbed for a few hangers and started putting the clothes onto the hangers and hanged them on the railings. She was done in fifteen minutes and stood looking at the closet admiring her hard work. Since all her clothes were damaged she bought a whole new set of wardrobe. Like Genos and Saitama, Sonic too received monetary compensation from the government and Hero Association for her help and the injuries she had suffered.

There were about ten items hanging in the closet. Two pairs of dark washed jeans, a long skirt, three shirts, two new ninja uniform - still the old designs she chose, one sweater and one dress. Sonic wanted just the basics since she would be wearing shirts and sweatpants while she was out of work. She then bent down to reach a few more folded items and took out her comfy house attire and placed them on the standing rack. After she did that she lifted the box and entered Genos' room.

After she was done, there in Genos' closet were three pairs of pants and jeans and three pairs of shirts. Genos didn't want to buy so many clothes since he would usually damage them in battle. Sonic thought Genos should go naked, but the 20 year old thought that though he had no visible private part it was still inappropriate. The six hangers was all that Genos had as his wardrobe. 

"This is such an easy job, cohabitation isn't as nightmarish as it sound," Sonic said out loud to herself. It was already noon so she just glanced at the unpacked boxes and proceeded to check the fridge for food. Sonic had since learned to cook complex meat when she started living with Genos when they lived together at the Hero Association quarters. Before this she only roasted her meat, or steam her veggies and add soy sauce to her food.

Sonic found a piece of chicken and a bunch of tomatoes and proceeded to make a baked chicken with some onions she found in her kitchen. Life was different, it was hell, but being dead was more hellish for Sonic. She just thought if she accepted her new life, things would be easier she hoped.


	2. Chapter 2 - Cranky Crush

2

Sasuke arrived at his office a minute before 8.00 am. He sat on his chair and set his bag aside, oblivious to two new interns who were gawking at him. They saw him the minute he entered the main entrance and was immediately taken by his looks. So they shamelessly stalked him until he entered his office, which incidentally where they were interning for and so they continued to follow him into the office.

The two interns were careful to watch the dark haired man from quite a distance, mesmerized by his handsome face set on milky white skin. Sasuke had not been spending much time outside these days, thus sported no tan at all. The interns gushed about his black hair which was spiky at the back and long bangs framing his oval face at the front. Uchiha Works was a company dealing with the entertainment industry thus they encouraged their employees to sport fancy hairstyles.

Sasuke sat at his desk which was situated at the end of the office. There were ten desks in the office and Sasuke's place was tucked facing a corner. He nonchalantly switched on his computer and reached for his headphones which he had placed on the top of his box file stack. He pulled his chair closer towards his desk, logged onto the Internet and covered his ears with the headphones. The first thing he did was check his email for the latest song a client had sent in to use as a campaign jingle.

Besides the interns, a pink haired lady by the name of Sakura was also watching Sasuke since he arrived there. She had also noticed the unabashed interns with envious eyes and soon approached them. Sakura had known Sasuke since they live in the same area, but she could only befriend him now when they worked in the same office.

She walked over to the interns and jolted them back to reality with a cough. "Ehem, ehem." The interns quickly apologized though they were doing nothing wrong.

Sakura pulled herself to her full height and said to the poor interns, "You are not here to learn about Sasuke-san's daily routine, now take this report and make 25 copies. I need them ready for the meeting tomorrow. Afterwards ask Miss Sands for the list of the guests and call each of them to confirm the name of the representatives who will be present."

The two interns bowed in respect to her and quickly scurried off to the photostat room, Sakura smoothed her hair and tugged down her tucked in blouse before walking towards Sasuke. Her four inch heels clicking through the office.

She arrived at Sasuke's desk and leaned in, making sure he can see in her in her periphery vision "Hey, let's have lunch today."

Sasuke glanced at Sakura and paused the music player app he was using. He took off his headphone and rested it around his neck. He paused for thought.

"Where?"

Now Sasuke noticed the silence, and turned around and noticed that there were only him and Sakura in the office. He got up and sighed while taking his headphone off his neck and placed it back on his box file stack.

"I forgot that we the Weekly Meet was this morning," he sighed at her.

Sakura smiled and reached for her office mate's shoulder and massaged it. "You have been working too hard Sasuke, even lost track of time. Let go of things a little, I can delegate your menial tasks to the interns. Just tell me what you need ok."

Sasuke looked boredly at her and reassured her. "I am ok Sakura. Now where are we having lunch, who else is joining?"

"Shikamaru and Chouji, Ino and Hinata. Lunch is at Amber, the chinese fusion restaurant."

Sasuke nodded at her and then walked away. Sakura's hand was still on Sasuke's shoulder and when he walked away she lost touch of him. Sakura fisted her empty grasp and watched as Sasuke headed towards the door of his brother's office who was also their boss. Sakura knew that Itachi would be in his office listening to the Weekly Meet online. There was no way Sasuke was going to leave his brother's office now.

Sakura decided to let go of Sasuke and reminded him, calling him from behind. "See you there at 12.30."

Sasuke raised his hand without even bothering to turn around. Now being ignored, Sakura sighed as Sasuke disappeared into his brother's office without even knocking first. Sakura leaned against Sasuke's table and wondered when she would be able to spend with Sasuke alone. The only reason the brother of the boss was working alongside her was because he wanted to have experience working at each department of Uchiha Works. Uchiha Works was a production company, producing tv programmes, advertisements and commercial video campaigns for companies.

Itachi Uchiha was the Head of Campaigns at Uchiha Works, he wanted to make Sasuke head of the Digital department. However, Sasuke who was a graduate in Mass Communication thought that he was better off gaining experience hands on rather than be a boss right away.

Sasuke closed the door behind him and saw his brother lying on the sofa with eyes closed. He had earphones on and seemed lost to the world, but Sasuke knew better. He noticed that Itachi's earphone was connected to a laptop placed on the coffee table opened to a Live Streaming video of the Weekly Meet.

"Hey nii-san, are you awake?" Sasuke asked as he sat down on a single seater beside the long couch, which Itachi was seating on.

"Yes, I was just closing my eyes," Itachi said as he opened his eyes and searched for Sasuke's identical onyx eyes.

"Can I talk to you?"

"Sure, what is it about?"

"Am I interrupting you, the Weekly Meet are basically the same thing right?"

"Today Uncle Madara are announcing the recipients of the Uchiha Education Fund. Anyone you know applying?"

"No."

"Anyway. None of our officers applied so I guess I can stop listening to Uncle Madara now." Itachi then took out his earphones and placed it beside the laptop. He sat with his legs crossed on the long couch and turned towards his one and only brother.

"I still have that dream from long ago."

Itachi's face showed surprise and he paused for a second before saying, "Do you think you need help in facing this?"

"I don't know nii-san. I just want to know what my dreams were trying to tell me."

"Well, I'll make a few calls."

Sasuke smiled at his brother in gratitude. "Thanks nii-san when I told you to not worry about my dreams, how silly and disturbing it was, you kept your distance. But… now I need to know."

Itachi stood and bent down to lean on the lifted his hand and tapped Sasuke's forehead in an affectionate manner. "Everything for my Otouto."

Itachi then floated to his mahogany table and flipped open his diary. Sasuke leaned back on the chair and thought about what would happen if the dreams ended suddenly before he could find an answer to it.

Itachi looked over from his diary to his brother, he could see the worry and doubt on his mind. As an older brother, Itachi had personal problems of his own but he had never had mysterious dreams like Sasuke had described to him almost a year ago. He continued browsing his diary for contact numbers of his friends who might be delving with psychology or some mysticism. He found one and quickly jotted the number on a piece of post it notes and then took it to Sasuke. Itachi could only offer help and support to Sasuke.

Sasuke had always admired Itachi's calm demeanour, even jealous why his brother had been so ignorant of his sleepless nights. But then he realized Itachi was merely going along with his warning to not do things against Sasuke's words. He had shared with his brother a few times about his dream and Itachi had thought that maybe they need an expert view, but Sasuke was adamant that his brother just listen to him and be there for him. He didn't want anything but for Itachi to be his pillar of strength. Sasuke had thought that he had it under control when he underwent hypnosis to help understand the dream, but during that phase the dream did not come to him at all. After a month or so after he stopped finding the answer to his dreams and the dream returned.

Itachi himself had a knowledge which he kept from Sasuke. That was the main reason why he didn't push for Sasuke to reach out for professional help regarding his dream. He knew that the Uchiha had a hidden secret which could be unveiled with time but Itachi himself wasn't clear on what the secret was. He was more comfortable to let the secret unveil itself.

Itachi approached Sasuke had gave him the post it note. "This is my friend Deidara, he delves in mysticism and he told me he could help you long ago. Try him. I wish you all the best."

Sasuke smirked at his brother and took the yellow square paper with gratitude. He bowed to his brother and sat down back to surf for the details of Itachi's friend's card on Itachi's laptop. Itachi couldn't help but laugh at his brother's comfortable state though he was being hounded by a dream of red eyes. Red eyes? The only red eyes Itachi saw was the pair of contact lens he wore during last year's Halloween Party. Itachi then sat back on his own chair and continued with his office work.

NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO

Kiba had known Naruko since they were in secondary school and was taken by the blonde's resilience in life. They both had been very close friends since their mid teens and had shared many sad and happy moments. When Naruko told him that she was furthering her studies Konoha University which was next door to his family's veterinarian office, he invited her to live with his family. Although Naruko declined as she had arranged to live with Shion, they still spend a lot of time together.

Kiba texted Naruko as he climbed onto the bus which would bring his entourage back to Konoha. Kiba had been a states swimmer apart from being an apprentice vet at his family's animal clinic. Today was the last day of his swimming competition and he was heading home with a smile on his face and a silver medal hidden beneath his jacket.

As he sat down on to a random seat waiting for his teammates to embark on the bus, he continued texting his message to Naruko and sent the text.

KIBA : Bro, I am heading home today. See you tomorrow for lunch. You can keep the car for awhile, I am taking leave from work for a week anyway. See ya.

He scrolled for his other messages and seeing that there was none, he locked his screen and adjusted his seat for sleeping. It was going to be a three hour ride from Iwa to Suna anyway so he decided to sleep.

Kiba knew of Naruko's life as an orphan whose parents died in a car accident. He had been there when a messenger came and invited a teenaged Naruko to a meeting with the name of Tsunade. The woman claimed that she had just discovered that she was sent by Naruko's Godfather by the name of Jiraiya to take care of her. Kiba and Shion had came along because they were afraid that she was being duped but it turned out that Tsunade worked as a Deputy Mayor of Konoha.

Jiraiya claimed that he only knew that he was a Godfather a few months ago. But he was on a road tour for his latest novel and couldn't get to meet Naruko nor ascertain the truth of the information until a month ago. He didn't want to meet Naruko with no evidence and being rejected by her.

After he was sure Naruko was really his Goddaughter, he had contacted his close friend Tsunade since she held a prominent position and would therefore convince Naruko of his position in her life.

Kiba remembered when his Mother had decided to accompany Naruko to her first meeting with Jiraiya, at the time Tsunade was away on an important matter. Mrs Inuzuka had been comforted by Jiraiya and had discovered that he was the writer of the novels she had detested to read during her youth. Jiraiya had launched novels under the pseudonym Kyuubi Kitsune with the protagonist's name Naruto. Naruko's parents had taken the name and feminized it into Naruko. Jiraiya was touched that his fictional character had been an inspiration to his former students who were Naruko's parents.

Ten years later, Tsunade had became a Mayor of Konoha and was still a busy woman, but he offered plenty moral support to Naruko. Naruko even adopted Tsunade's mother who was more than happy to treat the girl like her own granddaughter.

Kiba felt his phone vibrated. He knew that it could be a text from Naruko and quickly checked on it.

NARUKO : Thanks for the offer, I'll bring along Shion too.

KIBA : Nice, see you soon kit

NARUKO : xoxo

KIBA set his phone locked again and closed his eyes again. He heard the rustling feet and his name being called by teammates and then his coach, Maito Gai.

"Already asleep Kiba, that's right, swim like we would have no swimming pool forever, and sleep like we would have no time to sleep tomorrow."

Kiba just opened his eyes at his coach as the green jacketed man walked past his seat and nodded. Maito Gai laughed and went to seat beside Kiba's other teammate by the name of Rock Lee. The silver medalist of The Interstate Swimming Competition soon dozed of to sleep from the busy week he had spent competing swimming with ten other States.

NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO

Naruko parked her car at the top floor of the mall's parking since the parking was almost full. She checked her watch and noticed that it was almost 1 pm which meant that people were heading to lunch in droves. She reprimanded herself to enter the mall a little later or earlier next time to avoid rush hour.

She opened her car boot and took out her handbag, handing Shion's handbag to its owner.

"We should watch a movie today, there were two new movies released yesterday, Naruto The Movie, hey it's your namesake," Shion said.

Naruko smiled and then closed the boot and locked the car. It was a breeze to own a car but Naruko couldn't afford the monthly payment plus maintenance. She was thankful that she had the use of Kiba's car sometimes. If they had out of town assignments, Kiba would always offer her assistance in the shape of lending his car or sending her there.

Naruko and Shion entered the mall and as soon as they entered each got out their phone to check their texts.

"Kiba's on his way home," Naruko shared.

"You meeting him for breakfast tomorrow?" Shion asked.

"Yes, it's been awhile since we met anyway. I kinda miss him."

Shion smiled at Naruko and wrapped her arm around her friend.

"Yes, let's meet him tomorrow and then bring him along with us to the anime fair. I want a Yuri Katsuki doll. They are selling one there."

"Oh," said Naruko. "I almost forgot about that."

"You are so forgetful Naru, you should count yourself lucky to have me as your free reminder."

"Yes Shion. You are indeed my lucky star," Naruko said in a mock awed tone.

Shion hugged Naruko tightly and then suddenly ran away exclaiming, "hey there's a sale for figurines 3 for 100. Quick Naru, after me!" 

Deep down inside she was of course thankful for Shion. Shion had been a valuable friend, the one who had been there when things were tough. She had borrowed plenty of Shion's money and had paid every single cent of it, but Shion had given her more than that. Naruko knew that one day they would part as Shion dreamt of opening a company to help her family since she came from a working class family. Shion was tired of working for people and wanted to do something transformative for herself and her family.

Naruko walked quickly after she realized that her blonde friend had completely disappeared from her sight. She looked around and saw a store which she was sure the destination where Shion had headed. Naruko evaded a few people who were in her way and headed into the store, looking for a pretty little head belonging to Shion the shopaholic.

NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO

Genos woke up from his sleep this morning feeling that something good was about to happen. He was a cyborg but still he was very human. Genos believed in his instinct more especially after the aftermath of the Battle of Monsters. He woke up and looked at his wall clock and saw that it was only 6 am, still he was no longer able to sleep anymore so he decided to call it rise and shine.

The blonde haired cyborg with yellow eyes exited his room and knocked on his housemate's door.

"Yeah I'm up already," said housemate.

He silently twisted the door open and entered the room. Sonic was already awake sitting cross legged on her futon with a blanket covering her feet. She was looking at her phone.

"There's so much wasteful thing you can do with a phone, I am glad I had it this late."

Genos smiled and leaned against the door. "Any job offers?" he asked the lithe ninja.

"Yes, one very lucrative job from a Uchiha Works, you familiar with them?"

"No." Genos said truthfully. He had never heard of that name, nor was the name uttered when he was at Konoha's Hero Association. Tsunade hadn't the time to tell him about Konoha's former identity as a former ninja village. He reminded himself to visit the Ninja Museum during his free time later when he and Sonic were more settled in Konoha. Then he remembered that Sonic was a ninja.

"Hey Sonic, are you familiar with Konoha's ninja? You ninja are all the same right?"

Sonic rolled her eyes at him and got up. Genos's eyes quickly noticed the shorts which Sonic wore to sleep when the blanket fell down while she was getting up. He hadn't time to look at Sonic's legs for months when they were apart and was reminded of how scarred her legs were. Something emotional stirred in him, it might be caused by her 'death' during the Battle he told himself.

Sonic looked at her legs in response to Genos' staring but ignored it. She was wearing a large tree which hid her upper body so she was actually decently dressed. It had rain sometime in the early morning and she had worn the shirt over her bra during the coldness.

Sonic stood beside Genos and showed him the email. Genos took the phone from Sonic and scrolled through the email. He too thought that the job offer was very lucrative.

"Maybe we are being recommended by Tsunade-sama, I told her that we also specialize in security." 

"Figures."

"I am going for a run, you wanna join?"

Genos who had just been reminded of Sonic's fate during the Battle of Monsters quickly replied. "Of course. I need to test my new parts anyway."

Ever since the Battle, every moment they had was spent together. Genos was reluctant to let Sonic roam Konoha's forests alone for now.

Sonic turned around and said, "Join me for the meeting with the Uchiha Works tomorrow. I asked for a trip around their building before we get down to price and discussion." 

Genos nodded and Sonic smiled before she entered the bedroom. So far there hadn't been any awkward moments between Genos and Sonic, especially after the Battle. Genos had seen Sonic in her worst moments and anything else never mattered. Still Sonic made sure to wear proper clothes since she thought that Genos might be less experienced when it came to living with a woman.

Genos went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast which would only be consumed after their run. He had cleaned himself yesterday after the fitness test and that was sufficient for now.


	3. Chapter 3 - Sweet A

3

Shisui Uchiha was a reporter for a digital magazine until six months ago. The Uchiha family were one of the famous families in Konoha but Shisui was one of the lesser known ones. He kept a very low profile in the eye of the public and partly because of that Mikoto had asked him to fill in temporarily the post of Head Of Security until they get a new replacement for the post. The former Head Of Security for Uchiha Works, Kisame Hoshigaki had resigned to begin his own company Akatsuki Security.

Shisui resigned as a reporter and accepted his aunt's offer with the condition that he can also moonlight as a security guard sometimes. He reasoned that he could better watch the building and their employees when they least expect it. Mikoto saw no harm in his request and accepted his terms. Though as Head Of Security he had an office in the Security Department, Shisui spent half his time there and the other half visiting each security post around Uchiha Work's vicinity.

Mikoto knew that her nephew had an eye for pretty girls and Uchiha Works had plenty of that but she also realized that Shisui knew about Uchiha Works more than her sons. Among the Uchiha who works for Uchiha Works, only Shisui had visited every inch of their buildings during his every visit. He would tell Mikoto of things he saw in each building and asked Mikoto about everything he found intriguing there. Sometimes Mikoto wonder if it was Shisui's inquisitive nature which made him work as a reporter.

Today Shisui was supposed to attend an event representing Uchiha Works, but the event was cancelled and so he decided to resume his day by going to work. He was a bachelor and at age thirty in the middle of the week, the best thing to do was work. He could still go back at five and spend the remainder of the night at home. He was taking it easy since he had plenty of partying and staying home late during his reporter days.

So he started work at nine, a little later because he had to go home and change. He went on his first round at 9.30 am and then his second at 11.30 am. After his second round of the day he returned to the CCTV room to file his round report before looking over last night's report and then wait for lunchtime.

The moment he entered the CCTV room, he heard the on duty guard who was monitoring the monitors mumbled, "Wow, that's a cute ass she got there."

"Mmmmhmmm," said the other security guard who would resume rounds after lunch hours.

Shisui was reminded that he actually had a visitor today, an expert on security who was recommended by the Mayor. He had met the guests on his round earlier so Shisui quickly joined his officer to watch the CCTV.

"Where will they be presenting their findings?" he asked his guards.

"Ah boss, we didn't see you there," said his guard sheepishly as they realized that Shisui had listened to their running commentary about their guests.

"Is that Mumen Rider escorting her?" the guard who were escorting their guest was somewhere off camera, but Shisui was sure that it was his Deputy Head Of Security, Mumen Rider, his Deputy who goes around their buildings on a bicycle instead of a hoverboard.

"Please notify Mumen that I am bringing our guests for lunch after this, they can resume the checks after lunch," he ordered his subordinate.

"Ok boss," said the guard. The guard then contacted Mumen Rider via walkie talkie as Shisui checked the sweet ass which was indeed saccharine sweet.

"Hey Mumen, boss wants to bring the guests for lunch now."

The walkie talkie crackled before Mumen replied, "Roger that."

Shisui smirked and then patted his officers on the shoulders and made his way to the location where Mumen Rider and their guests were.

NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO

Sonic was bending down to check gaps under some trailers which was used as temporary rooms for artists, when she heard the engine of a vehicle approaching his location. She didn't bother to turn around since he was being escorted by an officer with the Security Department. She continued to measure the gaps in term of being used as a hidden place for would be thieves and also in other aspects.

"Good day Mumen Rider and Miss Sonic," a voice greeted her from behind as the vehicle came to a stop.

"Good morning boss, sorry to hear that the event got cancelled. You are not taking the day off?"

"Nah, I am not working this weekend so it wouldn't hurt to work today. At least I get to meet our lovely guests."

Sonic finally turned around and looked at her client's Head Of Security. "Mr Uchiha," she greeted.

"Ms Sonic...?" Shisui asked as he took off his security guard cap and offered Sonic his hand.

Sonic shook Shisui's hand and said, "There's a few things we need to reconsider here. I'll have to take some time to compile my findings with that of my counterpart Genos. He was meeting with Mr Fugaku to talk about our services other than security advice."

Shisui shook Sonic's hand firmly and without letting go, "Well that's good to hear, we could do so much more to upgrade Uchiha Works security."

Sonic admired Shisui's light brown eyes and the man's curly hair, but she wasn't taken by the Head Of Security's too long handshake.

"I'd like to continue with the next building, if you would let me Mr Uchiha I would really appreciate it. I run things on schedule," Sonic said as she pulled her hand from Shisui's grasp.

Shisui smiled even larger than before when he realized that Sonic wasn't charmed by his

manners. Since his guest was too serious with her work

"Sure, Mumen Rider, please foresee the lunch settings for our guests. I am sure Madam Mikoto would want our guests to be comfortable."

Mumen Rider who was Deputy Head of Security, meaning he was only handling issues dealing with security quickly reconfirmed his boss's demand. "I thought Kurenai-san had it covered? I had asked her if she needed assistance, but she said..."

Shisui forgotten how too honest Mumen Rider can be quickly said, "Oh, I think you should ask her again, I saw her trying to ask the caterer's lorry to park at the parking instead of at the foyer?"

"We are ordering catering? I thought we already had a contracted cook at the new cafe?"

Shisui then turned at Mumen Rider and through gritted teeth said, "Please Mumen Rider, I would appreciate if you would go assist Kurenai-san while attend to our guest here."

Mumen Rider eyes widened at Shisui's request and though he still didn't understand why Shisui was keen for him to leave, he still left since Shisui was asking very determinedly.

Mumen nodded at Sonic and said, "See you at lunch Miss Sonic.

Sonic just nodded and waited until Mumen Rider rode on his bicycle and went away before she headed to the building next to the one she had checked.

Shisui quickly turned off his golf cart engine and ran after Sonic.

"You are heading to our main office where our audio recording studios are. Maybe you would want to start from the top floor."

Sonic paused and let Shisui escort her into the building. She found this Head Of Security totally more annoying than Mumen Rider. Where Mumen had been friendly and let her do her work without questions and only monitor her from a respectable distance, Shisui seemed to be the opposite. Sonic was sure that Shisui would be beside her at every step of her way creeping in her breathing space. She was sure it would be because he had seen her ass, men have always become intrigued by her ass. She checked her attire and saw that she was wearing a dark fitted jeans with black sneakers, a black shirt with a black leather jeans. She wasn't wearing formal outfit since she knew she would be jumping down holes and walking in drains if the need arises.

Shisui ran forward to open the main door of the building and smiled valiantly at Sonic. "After you madame."

Sonic nodded as a reply to Shisui's actions and then headed towards the emergency stairs which was always located right to the main entrance. Right after Shisui didn't see her face she rolled her eyes and sighed.

NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO

If this happened a few years ago, Sonic would have left the vicinity because of such nosy and overly enthusiastic client. In the past she would have left and rather be jobless for a month than being affronted by an annoying client. But Uchiha Works was offering her and Genos a hefty sum of money for such a simple job. This money would help them in their future endeavour.

After the Battle Of Monsters the surviving heroes had retreated to the Hero Association's secluded quarters in the mountains. Sonic was treated for broken feet and sprained arms. She, Saitama and Genos had shared an apartment for awhile until she was well enough to travel. After three months Flash coaxed Sonic into following him to return to their village and so they returned. Sonic was reluctant, she had grown comfortable living with the pair of heroes and was afraid of the outcome of his new life. Of course Saitama and Genos was more than happy to let him go since she hadn't been home for years.

Sonic went home with Flash with expectation that there would be nothing when she returned there. Starting a new life in her village was out of the question since Sonic was a nomad, more comfortable being away than sitting comfortably at home. At that time she wondered whether Saitama and Genos had became her home since she was so comfortable being with them.

After another two months living in her ninja village with her farmer mother. Sonic and Flash together opened a grocery store for her because she was reluctant to quit working and stay at home doing nothing. She was only 45 after all so they promised to wire her triple the amount of money than before so she could live in comfort. But she still wanted some economic activity in life. Their mother had reasoned that since her twins were working in a dangerous field, she would rather have a backup fund raising method should her twins end up dead or unavailable to work in the future.

After they had established the store and got it up and running, Flash had returned to the city with a few of their villagers to help rebuild the city. Sonic had stayed back to help her mother recruit workers and resume her physiotherapy as she was still sore in her legs. He had new metal legs now, titanium thighs in both legs. Then another two months passed when Sonic's doctor gave him the green light to start working again.

During her months away, Sonic kept in contact with Genos by email. Genos related to Sonic about Saitama's and Fubuki's plan to investigate the movement of the escaped monsters which had survived the battle. In her final email Sonic had told Genos that she would return to the Hero Association to resume life. She was still unsure of what she would do with her new life, resume being a hired assassin or live like a normal civilian while she regained her skills. Genos said she should think of what was best for herself. Sonic did not ask Genos if the cyborg was going with Saitama since it was fact that the two were inseparable.

Sonic returned to the Hero Association Quarters to receive her money package from the government. She had expected to see Genos but he was nowhere and he did not reply her email. The next week, she spent her time alone in their apartment and no one was there apart from the apartment maintenance crew. Finally on the third week when Sonic had packed her single luggage and confirmed her new destination to start a new life, Genos came home with a few heroes. Saitama, on the other hand was nowhere beside Genos.

When Genos saw Sonic he had a wide smile plastered on his face. Sonic thought it was goodbye, but Genos instead told her to wait for him because he wanted her to come with him and be his roommate. Sonic who was really a follower had opposed Genos' idea, but Genos had told him that they would be better as a team in a stranger's place.

Genos being enthusiastic about leading a new life with Sonic was something Sonic didn't see in a million years. Sonic thought Genos would definitely follow his Saitama-Sensei when she was away, but here she was doing work with Genos in another building just metres away, starting life and working.

"How long will you be doing the check ups Miss Sonic?" the nosy Uchiha asked her as he placed his face in her breathing space.

Sonic who was spaced out from thinking about Genos quickly backed up from reflex. She almost backed up into a cliff but her agility which was a result from years of practice made her flip to the front and landed behind the Uchiha.

Shisui was astounded, he turned around and clapped his hand at Sonic. "Sorry to surprise you, but you were too into it. Chill out. And... that was a cool trick."

Sonic ignored the Uchiha and resumed walking to another part of the building. Shisui skipped alongside her and asked again, "So what time will we be eating?"

Without breaking her steps, Sonic said, "As soon as Mr Uchiha let me finish my work then we can stop for lunch in fifteen minutes."

"That's good to hear, anyway call me Shisui, there will be a whole lot of Mr Uchiha at lunch so Shisui would be it."

Sonic paused in her walks and looked at Shisui, she nodded to him and proceeded to climb a misshapen wall which she thought must be a decorative ledge and up into a hole in the ceiling. Shisui smiled and leaned against the wall, he was taken by Miss Sonic's sweet ass and now the security advisor's demeanour. He loved this 'playing hard to get' mode which she had on and wondered if she was already taken.

"Now I wonder what kind of man would love a woman like that? I would love to grab that sweet ass in my grasps too. A tough woman would complement me. Should I try to pursue her?" Shisui wondered outwardly.

In another fifteen minutes Sonic climbed down the wall, having her ass down first before she landed smoothly on her feet. She winced a little at the feeling of tightness in her legs which was caused from the hard floors. Shisui who was too enamoured by her booties did not notice the wince and smiled at her.

"Now that you are done, let's go have lunch. My boss is wondering if salmon would be ok?"

"I am not fussy," Sonic said.

"Let's go back to the golf cart because the cafe is at the other end of the vicinity," Shisui said.

Sonic just nodded.

Shisui continued to smile despite the unapparent interest from Sonic. He trailed behind Sonic's back, towards the golf cart which he had used as his transportation. When they got there he offered a hand to Sonic but the woman just bowed at him in respect and got on the cart herself. Shisui rubbed his empty hand onto the back of his thick curly hair and smiled sheepishly. He wasn't about to let Sonic diss her like that, he would keep on trying.

He revved the golf cart up and started his way to the cafe. They would have their lunch in a private room above the cafe which was opened to their employees and their guests.

As the golf cart travelled alongside the buildings Sonic had already covered, he glanced at his guest and asked. "Are you a ninja Miss Sonic?"

His guest nodded and said, "Yes I am."

"That's wow, not many of us follows the old school learnings of a ninja. I go to the dojo every other day, maybe you'd like to show me some cool techniques. If I could have your number."

Sonic saw the thin veiled attempt at flirting with her but still handed her business card to Shisui. She was sure she would not be taking calls from him anytime soon since it's Genos who would deal with their clients. She was just here for technical advice.

"Nah, we have arrived here at the cafe," Shisui said. He couldn't ask her more about her life or herself while he was working, he had promised his Aunt Mikoto to be professional while he was Head Of Security. But being friends with his client was another thing he thought was proper since she was advising them about the security of their buildings. She and her counterpart were recommended by Tsunade but still he needed to make sure that she was trustworthy.

Sonic got out of the cart before Shisui did and stood at the entrance for Shisui. She wasn't interested on getting up close and personal with this particular Uchiha but he was an important figure in this business dealing, therefore she would play along with his way as further as she could.

"After you," he told her as he opened the glass door.

Sonic smiled at him and walked towards the main part of the building. It was a spacious hall with a high ceiling. The floor wasn't sticky like canteens would be and the smell of good food wafted into her nostrils. Sonic's stomach rumbled with hunger and only then she noticed how she had actually worked on an empty stomach. The food was already being arranged on the counter but there was no worker around. Sonic glanced at the cafe's wall clock and saw that it was ten minutes to twelve and concluded that the workers might be having their lunch break at 12.00 pm onwards.

"My boss is upstairs, let's use the stairs to reach there. I believe your counterpart is already there."

"Yes I am sure," Sonic agreed. She had started answering Shisui since she knew she would be meeting the boss and therefore would need to talk more now.

When they reached the private dining room, Shisui opened the heavily tinted door and gestured for Sonic to enter. Sonic entered and bowed to a lady she recognized as Mikoto Uchiha and several other Uchiha Works officers in there. She zipped open her jacket to reveal her inner shirt and quickly relaxed when she turned around and locked eyes with the pair of yellow eyes belonging to Genos. Genos stood and pulled the chair next to him and smiled at Sonic. At that moment Sonic's heart bloomed with the sight of her former nemesis turned ally.

"Have a seat Miss Sonic, glad you could join us. We have lots to discuss afterwards, but let's savour our taste buds with these delicacies first."

Shisui saw the exchange and could see that there was more than meets the eyes between those two. He bowed to his aunt and informed her, "The check ups with Miss Sonic went well. I sent Mumen here to have lunch with us, where is he?"

Mikoto Uchiha looked at Shisui and said, "Glad to hear that. Mumen will be joining us in awhile, I believe he came from the neighbouring city of your previous home Genos-kun. I am glad to hear that your cities are doing well a year after the Battle"

Sonic smirked at Mikoto's words and replied, "Thank you for your kind words Uchiha-sama. I too hope to return there one day. Travelling broadens the horizon and that's why we are here today."

"I believe in that too, now let's have our appetizers first while we wait for Mumen," Mikoto said as she ordered her officers to started dining.

NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO


	4. Chapter 4 - Resolved Msyteries

4

Naruko sat for the last of final exams with enough confidence that she would not fail any of them. As an experienced adult she had enough patience to know that she should study seriously this once and for all. It was not luck that had enabled her to pass her interview and got the scholarship to study here therefore she should do this seriously this time. Fifteen minutes before the paper for Principles of Directing ended, she was already raising her hand to notify that examiner that she was done. The examiner soon arrived at her desk and she passed the paper to him.

"Thank you Miss Uzumaki, you can clear your desk and depart by the front door."

Naruko thanked the examiner back and cleared her desk. She could see her next desk neighbours glancing at her and grimacing at her. She smiled back and gathered her pens and pencils and stood to exit. Some people who had been in a blur in watched as Naruko began leaving them. Right after she exited the examination hall, a few students scrambled to finish their last mysterious questions which they hadn't studied for and called for permission to leave the examination hall. The tensions were getting to them it seems.

The first thing Naruko thought about, right after leaving the hall was to freshen up. She grabbed her bag which she had placed near the entrance of the exam hall and stuffed her wallet and pencils and pens in her bag pocket. She slung the messenger bag across her body and headed towards the restroom.

Upon reaching the restroom she unslung the bag and hung it on one of the hooks provided. She stood in front of the sink looking at her tired face and twisted the tap to wash her face first, feeling the cool of the water against her sweaty skin. The examination hall had been cold but the final paper had been tough, not until Naruko decided to just answer it to her best of her ability did she find the final paper of her final exam a breeze.

She massaged the water into her face and made sure every inch of her face and exposed neck was cleansed though with mere water. Naruko then rinsed her face once with clean water and the reached for a small towel from her bag to wipe the water residue from her skin.

Naruko untied her long blonde hair and let her waist length hair fall to her back and on her sides. She brought out a small brush and began brushing through her hair smoothing some knotted hair along the way. Naruko noticed that she had some split ends at the end of her hair and was thankful that her half month salary was coming today. She and Shion had spent their last yens yesterday buying some unnecessary stuff like a fancy blouse and a pair of earrings priced at 3 for 50.

Naruko then checked her yellow blonde hair, knowing that she had inherited it from her father whom she had never meant. She had mourned his death for a while, even became angry at his inability to be here during her important days. She had not missed her mom so much these last few years since Tsunade entered her life. The governess was a busy lady but she paid enough attention on Naruko for her to feel that she had someone who cared about her apart from Iruka, her former guidance counsellor at the orphanage. The 35 year old man had remained single even after Naruko had tried pushing another guidance counsellor named Anko towards him. She hadn't seen him for five years but she hoped that he was doing well.

Everytime she looked at her face she was reminded of Minato Namikaze, who based on his picture, was also blonde and blue eyed. She had not seen her mother's picture yet since they said that she had died in a fire and all her belongings were destroyed. The only thing she had inherited from her was her surname, the name which she had been registered with. She was told that the man who sent her into the orphanage was a single man with sons and he was busy so he sent her believing in the capability of the institution. Naruko loved being in the orphanage but she still felt a huge void in herself when she saw her face and had no inkling of how her parents looked like.

Tsunade had given her a photo of her father and had told her that she deeply regretted meeting Naruko when she was fifteen. It was late, but to a girl who had no idea of her background it was a chance nevertheless. The mayor had invited Naruko to live with her, but Naruko knew that she would only see the Mayor not as often as she would be. The assistant to the mayor had told her that they had maids working around the clock so Naruko wouldn't feel alone. But she was comfortable being from a place which was only quiet come night, and only after a severe warning from the warden. An orphanage which lacked parental love but not short of friendship and attention from its caretakers.

Naruko checked her watch and knew that the paper was about to end in five minutes time. She brushed her hair back into a ponytail and checked for any stray hairs. Putting back her brush and towel into the bag she departed before the rest of the final examinations candidates came out and fill the halls. Naruko took the elevator down and found her best friend Shion sitting on their usual waiting place. She handed a smile to her grimacing friend who was trying to down her notes for her papers tomorrow. Shion smiled and gestured for Naruko to join her, on the table there was already two lattes for them to sip on while they lament about their final exams.

NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO

Sasuke had ordered his driver to send him about a two blocks from Itachi's contacts to offer himself some semblance of anonymity for himself. As one of the local celebrity of Konoha, Sasuke had even bagged the title of one of the 50 Best Dressed Male in ASIA. He wasn't even best dressed today and so Sasuke was forever confused why the media would continue to stalk him. Luckily these days the local celebrity circuit had welcomed another mysterious figure by the name of Hatake Kakashi, therefore Sasuke was out of the limelight until his next social exploit.

He walked up two blocks wearing a new dark trench coat over some long sleeved shirt and jeans. He was also wearing a gray snow cap and had wrapped his face with a thick scarf to escape the prying eye of his half a million strong fan girls. He wasn't sure if he should go all the way with his camouflage but luckily at 8 am in the morning, his fan girls are still on their beds stuck in their dreams or in class to ever annoy him today. Sasuke glanced at the building he had identified earlier as the one where one Deidara Harrison was occupying. The building his driver had pointed out to him was a white bricked building with tinted glass windows. Sasuke had checked on the Internet and found out that the building had been repainted since its last searchable image on Deidara's website.

The office to the self-professed dreams and paranormal expert was on the top floor, therefore Sasuke chose to ride the elevator instead of using the stairs. Just as the elevator's door opened up for him another red haired man rushed in before him. The man looked at him and greeted.

"Itachi's brother I believe? I work with Deidara. Sorry to burst in like that." The man smiled at Sasuke and ousted the open button to let Sasuke in.

Sasuke nodded and offered a polite smile to the man, "Yes I am. You know my brother?" Sasuke had thought that the man might be a model because all his brother's friend were the model looking kind. But it wasn't necessarily that because Sasuke himself had declined to be a model no matter how many times Itachi had asked him to try out. He only volunteered to be a stand in model when models are not available and had his mother order everyone that any images of him cannot be used for any unauthorized use outside of Uchiha Work's realm. So far no one had set a precedent in going against his orders.

"I work with Deidara, let me accompany you there. My name is Sasori."

Sasuke entered the elevator and stood next to Sasori. The lift was tiny and could only fit about five people he measured. Meanwhile Sasori punched in Deidara's floor and they both spent the next minute riding the elevator in silence.

The moment Sasori let Sasuke into Deidara's office; Deidara turned around from watching outside his office window and flashed a smile to the younger man. "Ah welcome Mr Uchiha. Thank you for coming. I am Deidara Harrison, please have a seat, I see that you have met Sasori Harrison, my cousin and also my business partner." Deidara offered Sasuke a hand for Sasuke to shake and the younger man took it.

"I should start on my work now Dei, see you at lunch." Sasori said as he waved at his partner.

"Sure, see you then," said Deidara.

Sasuke sat down on his offered seat and watched as Deidara took off his blazer and hung it around his chair. Deidara was wearing a white shirt inside with a dark coloured vest and a tie. Though his clothes looked formal his hair which was long and yellow blonde, was pulled to the back and tied in half. He also sported a long side bang at the front hiding his right eye from the world.

"I am Deidara Harrison and I am a friend of your brother's. I have been in this field since I was a child basically. I had my Master's in Electrical Engineering so I can fix your wiring and help you get over your fear of darkness and ghosts along the way. My family is from Canada, and my mother is a Konohan."

Sasuke knew that Deidara was only talking that much to break the ice. So he started talking to get the problem out there.

"Thanks for the introduction and I assume that itachi had told about me so I will skip the formality. My brother told me that I should try you service, but he didn't tell me what you are doing actually. I checked you online and your reviews are quite positive, and that's why I am here."

Deidara smiled at Sasuke and then said, "I am a paranormal expert and also a dream analyser. So far all my clients have been satisfied with my service and if you would like a sample, I am more than happy to offer a demonstration."

Sasuke smirked, "I don't do samples and I trust you if Itachi trusted you."

"My expertise is paranormal cases but I also spend a lot of time and money researching dreams. A lot of my clients came to me usually with a paranormal case to pursue at first, but usually when we work together they would open up about having bad dreams which had nothing to do with their paranormal case. From there I observed them in my office and helped them get through it."

Deidara smiled and grabbed for a file from his drawer and started jotting down something. "Let's do an analysis first. I need you to tell me what your dreams are roughly. But first you will need to lie down and sleep, are you free to do that now?"

Sasuke nodded, "I have been sleeping little these past few days, so I would need a little help with sleeping during the day."

"Ok then," Deidara stood and walked towards a door right behind his chair. "Let's move to the observation room so we could analyse your dream on a surface level. Each of my client is unique in their personality and dreams. Therefore I will consult you based on what you choose to tell me and not on what itachi had told me all these years. He loved you is all I could tell for now."

The blonde man smiled earnestly at his client and then opened the door. Sasuke got up and followed Deidara to the door.

Sasuke was a skeptic. He didn't usually subscribe to things like this but it was time that he find solution to his dilemma. He needed closure of something seeing that his reality is being interrupted by his thoughts about his dreams. He agreed to follow whatever the blonde man was telling him to since Itachi told him that Deidara was reliable.

Deidara let Sasuke into another room which was similarly furnished in dark carpeting and brown furnishings. Deidara went to a cupboard and took out a sleeping pill with a bottle of mineral water.

"Here take this; it's something to help you fall asleep. The sofa is yours to use, or would you rather a bed?" Deidara said before continuing, "Do you trust me enough to do this?" Deidara asked the younger man again.

"Yes," Sasuke told him without any hesitation.

"Okay, let's get started. I will lower the temperature of this room so you will be much more comfortable and fall asleep easily."

Sasuke nodded at Deidara and popped the pill into his mouth. He noticed that Deidara had handed him a single pill instead of two. He usually needed two pills to sleep when he reached his maximum too tired to even fall asleep phase. Sasuke thought, maybe because the expert didn't want Sasuke to sleep more than he should. He would still need to sleep at night.

Sasuke took off his coat, snow-cap and scarf and lay on the bed. He used the blanket to cover himself and was soon asleep. He didn't need to think much about calling the dream, it came as he pleaded in his mind for it to come as usual.

NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO

The dream came after a while. Sasuke opened his eyes in his sleep and noticed that he was lying on Deidara's sofa in Deidara's office. But the window which was usually present in his room was now in Deidara's office too. He looked around without sitting up and noticed that the room was in the style of his room mixed with the dark settings of Deidara's office.

Then there were windows before him creaking open. The windows were just like in his room at the Uchiha residence. Wind entered the opened windows and began making the curtains wave around. Sasuke looked at the window as usual, the silhouette someone standing before his room. He hadn't noticed that the eyes belonged to a certain someone before this, only that the eyes were watching him in curiosity.

The someone had opened his eyes and as usual the pair of dark eyes turned red and three commas swirled inside each eye. Sasuke became mesmerized by the redness of the eyes and the silence of the being. It never caused anguish inside of him. Then he heard the calling, which was not exactly a voice. But it was someone calling him to come closer to the eyes, as if the someone couldn't enter his room so he must come to it.

Sasuke then got up, this time he felt like he was actually awake. He pushed the heavy blanket which was covering him up to chest so he could rise and approach the eyes. He was answering its call, the eyes were calling and certainly not the person who owned the eyes. Sasuke could feel the coolness of the room, from the draft in his dream.

As he padded on the floor wanting to get across the room or rather Deidara's office, he felt as if the window was getting further away. He paused and saw that the room was not that far away, so Sasuke quickened his steps but still the window was away in a distance which meant that the eyes were getting away from. With a definite purpose to get to the eyes and end all his confusion, Sasuke started running and running until he was actually closer to the eyes which were still purposely looking at him.

He finally reached the eyes and his hands flew out to touch them, but the eyes closed before he could. Then the darkness gradually lifted and light came in. Sasuke stood in surprise at the figure which looked like his brother with eyes closed. The deep stress lines underneath the eyes which was synonymous with Itachi wasn't there but the other things like the hair, the shape of the face, the length of the loose hair was very familiar like his brother's.

Then everything was filled in more light until everything turned white. Sasuke promptly woke up and looked around. He was glad to see that he was still lying on the sofa in Deidara's observation room. Deidara was there actually, sitting on a chair looking at Sasuke.

"It's almost noon already and I heard some noises from my office and decided that i should instead monitor you here," Deidara said.

Sasuke looked at Deidara and nodded. He sat down and lowered the blanket to cover only his legs. The room was chill, but in his recent state Sasuke couldn't be bothered to ask Deidara to adjust the temperature.

"I saw Itachi."

Deidara nodded and jotted something in his notebook which Sasuke had only noticed now.

"Is this a new revelation?"

"Yes."

Deidara smiled gleefully and flicked his blonde bangs aside to reveal his bionic eye.

"Looks like the pill worked. I am sorry I did not tell you this earlier but that was just a normal pill. You fell asleep on your own accord. You yourself had revealed the clue to yourself."

Sasuke frowned, "Isn't Itachi my answer, he must have got something to do with the red eyes."

"Not necessarily, our dreams offer us insights into ourselves and not someone else's. We can use the imagery of Itachi in your dream as a tool to decipher your dream but not as answer."

"Lie there for awhile while I get my office ready. We will have lunch in my office with Sasori. We have a lot to talk about. Thank you Sasuke. Your cooperation with yourself to discover this dream is a strength in itself. Not many people are brave enough to discover themselves using dreams and symbolism. If you'll excuse me, i will make a move now."

Sasuie just nodded at the blonde haired man as he left the room.


	5. Chapter 5 - Friendly

5

Love, friendship, loyalty, revenge, fear, confidence, trauma was part of Genos.

He had no qualms when he was fighting, none of these feelings overpowered him when he was fighting but when he was alone at night, it's a different story. Some days Genos felt like punching his way through a hundred monsters, and some days he felt like eating ice cream while sitting in the park watching grass grow, that's to describe how he sometimes felt torturous and other times calm. all kinds of emotion ran through him when he was alone. He was coming to terms with his present state, still on the prowl for the rampaging cyborg who had killed his family, but while at it still able to pick a rose and smell it.

It's been nine months since the Battle Of Monsters. The Hero Association had invited Genos and Sonic to the rebuilt cities as part of their campaign towards a better world. Genos heard from Metal Bat through e-mail that the Hero Association's campaign theme was 'Love will conquer all'. Love was what made them protect the city and he had grown to love his Saitama-sensei and fellow heroes.

Love was a thing which was part of friendship, even friendship had levels of depth. Genos wondered what was his and Sonic's friendship level of friendship, was there love involved. He had been having many thoughts about the lady ninja ever since the battle. Saitama had said something about Sonic and him needing each other and that Genos needed to experience life for awhile. Smelling the rose, saitama had said. Genos had clung to Saitama's word though he could easily disobey his sensei and followed Fubuki and her gang, and Saitama to the west where the Monsters were believed to have fled.

So it was time to attend the opening of the new city, it was a lavish affair but the new Mayor of each city which was rebuilt said that it would be a symbolic uprisal of a new spirit for the cities and the citizens. There would always be monsters, they could be quashed again and again, so rebuilding the emotional and unified strength of the people was also a continuous work.

Genos was thinking of visiting Dr Kuseno after the opening, Sonic had some other errand to run but they have agreed to meet for lunch around 12. Dr Kuseno's old laboratory was destroyed. So after the Battle, Dr Kuseno had moved farther down the rural area and build a temporary lab for his robotics work.

Now, Genos was lying silently, letting his physical metal body rest while Dr Kuseno measured his brain waves. The doctor had wanted to check his 'son's' mental state after seeing a smiley Genos. There was none of the serious, stoic Genos. As a scientist the doctor was first evidence based and wanted an imagery of Genos's brain activity before he began prodding the young man for information. Dr Genos had shown Genos video clips from the Battle of Monsters and Genos had reacted properly to it.

"Everything looked normal Genos, I am really awed. You responded well to the stimulants."

Genos opened his eyes and Dr Kuseno proceeded to detach the various wires he had connected to Genos. Being freed from his wire shackles, Genos got up and sat on the bed.

"I think it might be something about being receptive of my fate. There's me and the present, and…my new life."

Genos smiled. Dr Kuseno looked at the metal young adult and moved to the coat rack to get Genos his jacket. "Now that we are done, why don't you run along. Don't you have a lunch date? I have a meeting with Duchess Zeta at her palace. We can adjourn the analysis tomorrow."

Genos got up and grabbed his jacket while bowing to the doctor. "Yes, but I am still early. I will see you again doctor. Thank you. I will miss you," Genos smiled.

Dr Kuseno too smiled and reached for the taller man to hug him. He was beginning to consider naming Genos his heir who will inherit a few of his possessions. Dr Kuseno had many assets and land and he had been thinking of donating them all to the Government, but he was also thinking of Genos. He knew he had loved the boy more than a teacher loved a student. He wanted to boy to have something of his when he eventually leave the world.

Genos patted Dr Kusenos shoulders and said, "I would like to take my friend to the Seafood House in West Street. I heard they have opened a branch in town, so no need to travel by train to get there. I wish Saitama was here so we could all catch up."

Genos wore his jacket, which was custom made to fit his enormous metal hands. Sonic had picked the design and Genos just went along.

Dr Kuseno let go of Genos and led the cyborg to the door. "Ah, I almost forgot."

Genos looked on as the doctor went to a shelf to retrieve a pair of still price tagged gloves. Here's a pair for you and a pair for her.

"Thank you doc,"

"Ok now. Take care and see you tomorrow."

"Thank you doctor, you too take care."

Genos flew halfway to save time, and walked halfway to meet Sonic at a park situated at the fringes of the forest. The lady ninja was sitting on a wooden bench, and reading a manga she had found in Genos' diary box. Genos could easily recognise the nin since she was wearing a purple muffler around her neck to combat the cold. The rest of her clothes were black.

"Ready?" he asked.

Sonic tilted up to look at him for a second and commented, "This manga uses exaggerated female body parts as an attraction, I wonder how many have wanked using this."

"That's not a proper thing to ponder about," Genos said, if he could blush he would have blushed.

"Where are we dining?" Sonic asked as she pulled her bag from the space beside her to let Genos sit.

"West Street, Seafood House. Ever been to one?" Sonic moved to the empty space Sonic had made for him.

Sonic, paused for thought and suddenly whipped around using her super speed to land on the other side of Genos and said, "Nope."

"You are faster, have you been working out?" Genos asked as he turned to his other side to look at Sonic.

"Maybe," Sonic answered. "Come on, I am starving. I would need to buy new reading material, your Diary were too wordy and this manga is sexist."

Genos was made to get up as Sonic pulled him along with her. "You read my diary?"

"They aren't really your deepest thought, just a day by day post of Saitama's daily schedule, likes and notes, all I have seen when I was stalking him."

Genos laughed, he had been a Saitama stalker too, way before he met Sonic and just before Saitama agreed to let Genos be his apprentice.

"So, are we walking or flying there?" Sonic asked as she hid her hands in her parka's pocket.

Genos seeing Sonic, quickly reached for the girl's hands and wrapped it in his metal hands. He used his inner warmth to help Sonic's hand get warm.

"Maybe I should just hug you then, all the way to the restaurant," Sonic teased.

Genos smiled. He let go of Sonic's hand and then remembered the gift Dr Kuseno had given him just a half hour ago.

"Here, the doctor gave this to you."

Sonic didn't wear his since he has inner thermostat.

"Hmmm, perfect," Sonic said as she pushed her hand into the purple and black striped gloves. Then she noticed that the price tag was still attached, "I forgot the price tags, aha."

Sonic bit into the plastic tie which secured the tags to the gloves. She crumpled the tag and kept then in her pockets. Genos who had been looking at her was marvelled at Sonic's simple gesture to not litter her trash everywhere. His eyes searched around for a trashcan and found one.

"There's a trashcan over there, let me throw those tags out for you."

Sonic smiled and clapped her hands gleefully. "That's nice of you."

Genos blinked hard at Sonic's girlish attitude. It was rare for the girl to act like this. Genos needed to know why she was acting abnormal, but now they needed to rush to the restaurant before the lunchtime crowd comes along.

"Come on, let's walk all the way there. It's only 3 km away."

* * *

Sonic skipped into the restaurant with a spring in her steps. She had noticed that Genos had a look of surprise when she had clapped her hands at his offer to throw her trash away. She had acted abnormally girlish just to get a reaction from him, and Genos had given her what she wanted. After half an hour, he was still looking at her suspiciously. Of course Sonic chose to ignore him.

"So here we are, Seafood House. Ahh.. those are cute little crabs they had in place of the small a," Sonic commented.

Genos looked up and saw that the signboard had a crab in place of the a in the word Seafood. He smiled at that and then gestured for Sonic to enter. "After you miss."

"Such a gentleman," Sonic replied and entered the premise. She chose the farthest table inside, at a nook of the restaurant and began taking off her outerwear. She unzipped her parka and hung it over the back of a chair. Then she took off her new gloves and stuffed them in her bag. Genos only then noticed that Sonic had been carrying a little sling back which she wore inside her parka. The bag was shaped like a cat's head.

Genos on the other hand only took off his jacket and folded it. He wasn't sure where to put the jacket since there were only three seats placed at the table.

"Here, hang it over my jacket," Sonic told him and immediately took Genos' jacket and unfolded it. She draped the jacket over her own parka.

Genos only sat when Sonic was seated. Sonic smiled at Genos and the cyborg replied with a frown and smiling confused face.

"Now, let's call the waiter. Why they don't just put a menu on each table, I don't know."

Genos who had been here ample times, quickly pushed a button on the table and a ding was heard over the restaurant.

"Oh, they got some kind of a notification system," Sonic mumbled before she pulled her chair to sit closer to Genos.

"Anyway, were you here often. WIth Saitama I guess?" Sonic asked Genos.

"Not really, I've been here with the other Hero but never Saitama. We planned to come here but then the Battle happened," Genos explained.

"Oh," Sonic said. Now she was surprised that the cyborg did spend time away from his sensei.

"Have you heard about Saitama, where he's been, is that esp brat treating him well? I kind of miss him, I mean challenging him."

Genos arched his brows and then said, "If you wanted someone to challenge, I can beat your ass anytime."

"Bring it on then," Sonic said. Unlike before the war, Sonic would have meant the words full of spite. But now she had images of her running 10km per day and doing push ups like Saitama to regain her power."

"On another note, I'd rather train in my own self if you are planning to use Saitama's work out. I don't want to lose my hair forever, once was enough. Sonic still remembered the day Genos cut his topknot though it was a year ago. She paused and flicked her gaze at Genos with a sneer, Genos grimaced.

"No worries, we are even," Sonic said and then ignored Genos's pained reaction. In truth since Genos had saw Sonic dead with his own eyes and then started treating the ninja decently, while the ninja had treated the hero like friends, Sonic was no longer sore about his cut hair.

The waiter soon arrived and handed them their menus, a pen and a clip file with an order form.

"So, we write our order here and then we go to the counter to give them these?" Sonic said and she began reading the contents of the order form.

Genos looked at Sonic's way and then handed her a menu. "We write down the orders and then call them using the button. It's like a regular restaurant but the only thing different is that they don't write the orders for us."

Sonic nodded and without looking at Genos, she flipped open the menu. The first thing she saw was what she was ordering.

"That's all, what are you having Genos?"

Sonic placed the pen and order form on the table and untied her hair. Her dark hair, purplish when it bounced the lights of the restaurant was already shoulder length. Sonic planned to lwt it grow till it reach her waist.

"Roasted crab, menu number C17."

Sonic swept her straight hair to one side and got back to writing down the menu. "Drink?"

"It's already in the set," Genos said. He was busy eyeing Sonic while the ninja was writing down on the order form.

"You like my hair like this," Sonic suddenly looked up from writing their orders to look at Genos.

Genos spluttered, "Ahh, I'm just noticing how long your hair are now."

"Yes, it's been a year and a half since I started regrowing it."

"Well, I think I should get you an apology gift for cutting your beautiful hair."

Sonic looked away, she was moved by Genos saying that her hair was beautiful. She had always known that she had great hair, but no one ever praised it like this. Sonic, being the bitch she was decided to flirt with Genos. She smirked and looked back at Genos.

"Mr Cyborg, here's the orders. If you could call the waiter now. I am starving."

Genos ding donged for the waiter and the orders were carried out to the kitchen.

"Have you a girlfriend Genos?" Sonic said, she had made sure that no one was sitting around them. She wanted Genos to feel comfortable. Anyway the lunch crowd would arrive a little later, so for now they were left in privacy.

Genos felt her hand creeping up his metal arm. "You being like this should have attracted a lot of fan girls. Even I have fan girls, and I am a girl."

Sonic traced Genos's metal arm with her fingers from his elbow to his wrist. When she reached his wrist she squeezed it tightly and then released it.

Genos felt something creeping in him, it wasn't discomfort, it was nice though it was ticklish. If he had hair they would stand now. Sure, he had seen her as a rodent when she had been snooping around Saitama asking him to challenge her. But this touch, it was more than friendly and Genos wondered since when did Sonic decided to be touchy feely like this. Genos didn't think he should ask Sonic about it since maybe she had an epiphany about bneing more girl and less ninhja on a public setting.

Sonic looked up as a couple entered and sat at a table not far from them. Genos checked his watch and it was already 1.10 pm, meant that the couple was part of the lunch crowd.

"I realized that but having fangirls wouldn't help me fight evil. They were great as part of my public image but apart from that they are annoyances especially when they stalk me and take selfies during a fight."

"Hmmm," Sonic said. "Tell me about it. I have some fan boys but whenever they are around I fled before they could ask for a selfie. So damn irritating. I once had one fan boy who started trying to hug me and wanting to kiss me, luckily it was trying and wanting and not the actual thing."

Genos thought if he started being touchy feely with Sonic, world Sonic punch him or start dismantling his metal body with her hidden kunai. He knew she must be hiding a kunai somewhere in her baggy attire. Sure Sonic had started with the touches today but he had heard somewhere that touches does not mean a girl wanted to be touched back. Genos had that in bold letters in his mind. It was one thing him being fondled by his rabid fan girls, it was another him touching a girl back without a clear consent. Genos began to think that starting relationship was quite a tricky thing to start.

Genos wondered if Sonic would ask him for a selfie. He thought he was becoming her fan boy, but he wouldn't admit that just now.

Then Sonic took her phone out and adjusted it. "Genos, let's take our first selfie before the food arrives."

Sonic then got up a few inches and leaned over the younger man. She reached for a hand over Genos shoulder and squished the metal boy into her side. Genos was astounded when he was being quashed into Sonic's side breasts. It was soft, he could tell just that.

Genos instantly blushed as Sonic angled the camera for the best lighting and angle. She was done after a few takes. Sonic let go of Genos and before she sat down again, she looked at Geno's and pulled a few of his bangs aside.

"There you bangs looked a little more orderly now." Sonic nonchalantly checked her phone for the pictures which she had taken. "Do you want me to send any to you?"

Genos just nodded. He knew what he had been feeling all this while, he liked Sonic a tiny bit. Genos wanted to like Sonic a tiny bit more and he was finding himself wanting more of Sonic touches.

"Hey Genos, you got some dirt on your face, I only noticed it now. It wasn't showing on the selfies.. Here's a tissue, wipe it."

Genos took the tissue from Sonic and noticed that the ninja was checking his face. Then Sonic laughed, "Ah, how could you wipe it, there's no mirror here. I think I have a wet tissue pack here."

Sonic turned the other way to get her bag and got out a pack of wet tissues. She turned around and began peering closer to Genos's face. Her breaths fanning Genos's lips. Genos was warm inside, he thought with liking Sonic a bit he was warm like this. If he was full on in love with Sonic, how would he feel?

Sonic began biting her lips while trying to get the stain from Genos's artificial skin.

"Man, it felt like real skin. Like really crazy skin like thing. If I don't like my scars that much, I would ask for your doctor to give me fake new skin like this. Your doctor is awesome."

Genos was breathing hard as Sonic's soft skin slid off his metal arms. She was leaning on his arm for support with one hand, while the other wiping Genos;'s facial dirt.

Sonic blinked at a clean faced Genos and said, "Hmm. That's better."

Genos was blurry eyed, was this what they call sexual tension? He wanted more of it. He wondered if it was a normal reaction? Sonic did nothing but wiped his face. He would have to ask Dr Kuseno about it tomorrow.

* * *

Author's Note : I updated this chapter.


	6. Chapter 6 - Life Choice

6

It's the final semester break. Naruko had a few weeks before her final year start. She was looking forward to five months of study period, and then five weeks of semester break, before embarking on her internship program.

"Have you decided?" Shion asked. The beach blonde was combing her hair. She looked at Naruko sitting on Shion's bed looking intently at Shion's laptop. Shion glanced at her wall clock and then arched her brows questioningly at her best friend.

"It's already 10.00 pm, Mom told us to stop responding to the clients after 10.00 pm." Shion sighed when Naruko ignored her and continued to type on Shion's laptop. The girl swooped on her bed landing beside Naruko and looked at the laptop.

Naruko glanced at her friend and explained, "I know, but this customer has been asking questions about the cakes since ten minutes ago."

"Hmmm. You shouldn't have looked at the messenger the last ten minutes, these clients will forever talk to you like you had not clearly state your operating hours on your page."

Naruko was staying over at Shion's place since they were helping Shion's mother with their online business. It was December and a lot of cakes were ordered for the festivities and new year celebration.

"I know, but let me finish this one. Next time I'll quit before closing time," Naruko typed another response to the customer.

Shion lay on the bed and turned to her side to speak to Naruko. She placed her comb beside her and supported her face with her hand. "Hey Naru, since tomorrow is a weekend, and mom is staying at home attending the media socials, why don't we go out and do some sight seeing. We have been cooped up in this house the past few days since mom had to go to that Cake Fair. What do you say?"

Naruko typed a few more on the laptop and then proceeded to log out.

"Finally," Shion laughed. "Come on, what do you want to do?"

"How about we go for a run? I haven't been doing anything active these past few days." 

"Hey, we can wear our sneakers and walk around the mall, it's rainy seasons anyway."

Naruko smiled and looked at her friend, folding the laptop and lifting the laptop onto her lap. "Hey, that's an interesting idea. I have been thinking of doing some exercising for awhile. My baby fat are getting bigger from all these sittings."

"Okay, so we are set for tomorrow."

"Mmm hmm. Hey I am starving, let's go eat some more cake," Naruko suggested.

Shion smiled and said, "You go have cake. I am just going some crackers, I want to avoid cake this few times. Mom will ask us to sample her fruitcakes tomorrow anyway. I have enough of cakes, truthfully. At least I avoid eating them since I can't ignore them."

"Ah, silly Shion. Your mom's cake are delicious."

"I know, but I eat them daily for the past five years, I can abstain from eating them for a few days. It'll help my taste buds. You should try having them for breakfast, tea and supper."

Naruko laughed and she got up to keep the laptop on a study table before heading out of the room. Shion who was still lying on the bed called after her, "Hey Naru, I said I won't have cake but I didn't say that I won't have breakfast."

"Haha, serves you right for avoiding cake. Come on."

Shion pouted and followed her disappearing best friend down to the kitchen.

NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO NANOWRIMO

Shion mom was checking her phone for orders as she made a list of things to settle tomorrow. In front of her were some fruit cakes in a muffin tray.

"Mom!" Shion ambushed her mom front behind. "Fruitcakes?"

Shion lifted the tray and brought it to her face. She checked them out and commented to her mom, "You actually made some today, I thought you were going to take time off cake and do them tomorrow. I was just planning to abstain from eating cake today."

"Those are muffins," Naruko said as she got some mugs and began making tea for them.

Naruko had been placed on supper duty because Shion's mom didn't want her to be awkward while living there. She had so far spent two weeks there. Shion's mother hired Naruko to be in charge of their media socials while Shion kept a record of all confirmed orders and payments. They were both paid the same rate as a regular part time job. Naruko was glad that she had agreed since she also had free food and constant companionship. If she had stayed at their house near the campus, she would be alone while Shion went home. Naruko intended to work at a department store only a bus stop away from their rented house. But Shion had asked her to come along and after a day of thinking plus Shion's forceful persuasion, she agreed to work for Shion's mom. The older woman was only home after 6 pm and was not a helicopter employer and that had helped in Naruko quickly adapting to her job.

"Whatever, I am not eating none of it today" Shion said smugly.

"You are such a snob. Wait until you can't enjoy eating a cake and then you will long for one and even pay for it," Naruko said. She didn't quite understand why Shion sometimes act so ungrateful. So far she had no problem having cake day and night. But never for lunch, they always have chicken, fish or meat for lunch and never cake.

"Thank you Naruko, Shion is whiny sometimes I am glad you are here too. You want to stay here forever Naruko," Shion's mother said matter of factly to the girl.

Naruko was surprised, surely Shion's mother didn't meant that. _She was just teasing Shion,_ she thought.

"Yeah Naruko, that's what I have been thinking about for a few times now. You are so right mom. We can convert the gym room into your room."

"Hey," Naruko didn't know what to say to her friend. Instead of being intimidated the best friend seemed to be okay with it. This was really an awkward situation for Naruko.

Naruko blushed and scratched her whiskered cheek from nervousness. "That's a great invitation, but I don't intend to stay in Konoha after graduation." It was the truth.

"Now girls, sit down and have tea. We can talk about that all night long." Shion's mother said. The girls quickly scrambled away, Naruko getting the tea strainer and began pouring tea into three mugs, she knew that Shion's father would only come back next week. Shion's father worked far away from there and would only return home every other weekend.

"I am sorry to spring that question like that, but me and my husband have been talking and we were thinking of moving to his place and Shion was going to be alone. We thought that maybe you could keep her company if I am not here," Shion's mother said.

It wasn't a suggestion, Naruko thought. Shion's mother had been acting like Naruko was her own daughter and had made a plan without her knowledge.

"Yeah, you have no one here after all. You don't need to feel awful, it was just a suggestion, we are not forcing you. It was just an idea."

Naruko continued to think. It was possible that she would spend the year after graduation not at their company since they don't have any agreement to work there as soon as possible. The scholarship they got also gave them a choice of working right after graduation or at least two years post graduation.

She didn't realize that she was staring at her cup of tea until she felt a warm hand on her wrist. "Now, don't feel like you are obliged to stay here and babysit here. Mom and Dad was just suggesting. So you were saying that you are going to Konoha?" Shion peered into Naruko's sight.

"Yeah, I wanted to search for my Mom though I am not sure where to start. I will have to meet mayor Tsunade for some information, but when the University opens later."

"I will accompany you," Shion said.

"Thanks." Naruko then realized that she had let the tea get cold and apologized profusely to the matron of the house. She stood up and bowed to her hosts without checking where they were standing.

"Auntie, I am really sorry."

Shion's mother was already standing beside her, with her hand on Naruko's shoulder. "It's okay girl, you don't have to feel guilty. I am sorry for making decisions like that and springing it on you, it's just that we worried over you. My husband also thinks of you like our daughter. Though I have known you the past years as such an independent girl, we thought we could offer our house as yours too. The invitation is open anytime you want."

"That's very kind." Naruko said as she got up and breathed.

"Now let's have tea," Shion's mother patted Naruko and slipped away to sit at her own seat.

Naruko smiled and sat down. Shion got to their kitchen cabinet and got out a jar of cookies and fetched some plates too.

"You are seriously ditching your mom's muffin and eating cookies," Naruto joked at her friend.

"She made these too," Shion waggled her tongue at Naruko.

"Huh," Naruko replied. "I should have them too."

Shion's mother just laughed at the 25 year old's antics. They were already in their twenties but they act like children when they were amongst themselves.

"So, as I was asking you what are your options for internship?" Shion said after finishing a cookie.

Naruko paused from eating, she had not thought about it yet.

"Konohamaru told me that Kaka-sensei was text messaging everyone about any of the boys wanting to try Uchiha Works because only the girls were applying there. Sensei wanted some boys too for balance."

Naruko caught the name of Uchiha Works and replied feeling confused, "Why would the girls all be apply there. Then we should apply somewhere else. How about Hyuga Corps?"

"Konohamaru said, the boys are applying there. I am thinking of interning at Mayor Tsunade's office, maybe you should too."

"What's so hot about Uchiha Works?"

Shion's eyes turned owlish at Naruko's questions and then started googling on her phone.

"Didn't I say no phone on the dining table," said her mother.

"Mom, this is a speci case. Naruko you are such a noob." Shion then handed her phone to Naruko and exclaimed, "This is why!"

Naruko took the phone and saw two beautiful people in the screen. "Whose these? Actors?"

Shion made a smug face and announced, "Those are the heir of Uchiha Works, there's a lot more Uchiha in there but these two are the most popular."

"So who are they?" Naruko continued. She noted how fair their skin when contrasted to their jet black hair. She was sure that the picture, of them posing on a magazine was heavily photoshopped. They were too perfect looking.

"They are the targets of girls our age, the most famous pretty looking boys."

"Ohh. Surely they'll be out of reach right. So there's no point of interning there if they are not around."

Shion nodded, "Maybe. But i heard that Sasuke Uchiha moves from one department o another, i heard a rumour that he was aeven serving them at their cafeteria."

"So?"

"You don't get it Naruko?"

"So?" Naruko said while passing the phone to Shion and drank her cold tea.

"After supper, we'll browse about them for more."

Shion's mother laughed at the girls antic and then cut in to ask Naruko to comment on her fruit muffin.

"They taste great, but you might want to go easy on the sugar. It's too sweet."

Shion's mother nodded and said, "Ok. I'll see what I can do with that suggestion. Maybe do two version, a less sugar and another one like this."

Naruko nodded and listened on while SHion's mother explained why her muffin was sweet.


	7. Chapter 7 - Run Sonic Run

7

Sonic had been watching the laundry hanging on the railing for a good ten minutes. She knew her life was quite boring these days but she had forced herself to bear with it. Her daily routine was waking up to have breakfast with Genos and then doing online research about the latest technology and standards regarding security. Sonic was awed at herself for such a homebody and then get to earn thousands because of it. It was a little ridiculous but so far Mikoto Uchiha had been happy with the paperwork Sonic and Genos had prepared. Sonic didn't know that she was talented in creating a system of security and then had people followed it.

Suddenly Sonic felt old. All the experiences she had accumulated over the years when shaped into a paperwork form seemed like a perfect security system. Of course Uchiha Works did have their own system and they were only adapting their present security system to what Genos had provided for them, but it was still something to Sonic.

She looked up at the sky and sighed, the grey sky had been grey all morning and so far there was no sign of rain at all. Deciding that the still damp clothes would be safe outside at least until tonight, she went inside to watch television.

She was alone, Genos was away for an interview and Sonic had declined to accompany him. Sonic thought that the glamour world was only fit for a hero. She lay on the futon they had bought extra so they could watch and sleep in front of the television, and saw that Genos had left a few pamphlets on their coffee table.

Sonic grasped for the pamphlets and lay on the futon. The red and black pamphlets had the words beware of the "Super Mosquito Killer'. She opened it up and the first thing she saw was the itinerary. Eyeing for Genos's name, she saw that the event management had even put Genos's name in the itinerary. The sub-event scheduled at 2.00 pm was titled as "Meet the Heroes: Genos the Demon Cyborg, Kurenai and Asuma the weapon wielding super ninjas, Gai Lee and Rock Lee the Green Beasts.

Sonic chuckled at the heroes promotional picture. Apparently they were using the Heroes as the attraction to their launch, She looked down further and saw that there was also a few comments by Mayor Tsunade. Sonic was glad she didn't follow Genos, she had thought that it was just a normal event like a fund raising or something and since it's a public event fans will crowd Genos. Sonic refuse to be a part of it.

"If I am a hero, I could never say no to these events. I don't really care if heroes are being paid to appear there, it's really not worth my time," Sonic told the pamphlet.

She eyed her wall clock and then saw that it was already 2.15 pm and it was not afternoon really.

"It's late already, I should have lunch." Sonic said out loud to herself.

Sonic peered into the refrigerator and saw that there was no food and then she remembered that they had finished their food because they were bought on sale, and the expiry date was fast approaching.

"Guess I have to eat outside today," Sonic smiled/. She had anticipated that actually, but Sonic totally forgot about it when she had acted like she was busy around their barely furnished house just to avoid accompanying Genos.

Sonic got into her room and began dressing in her new jacket and jeans. She brought enough to buy herself dinner and also at least two days grocery. She could wait for Genos for more shopping activities.

Just as she was getting out her phone rang, Sonic wanted to avoid it, unless it was Shisui which she had to talk to because of work. She checked her phone and saw that it was Genos calling her, "What is he doing calling me when he should be mugged by fans?" Sonic complained loudly.

She grabbed her house keys and exited the home. Sonic punched the answering button while she locked her home.

"Yeah?"

"Sonic get out of the house, run!" a voice warned her.

"I am already out."

"Run!" and the line went dead.

Sonic frowned and looked at the phone. She placed the phone back into her jeans back pocket and started for the stairs.

 _What the hell was Genos saying? There's no alarm sounding at all by the KHA._

Then a large deafening sound blared from somewhere and tremor sent Sonic down the stairs, but before she could kiss the stairs, Sonic grabbed for a railing and almost missed the edges of the stairs.

"What the?"

The other occupants of the apartment began running following the tremor. Sonic wasn't sure if the building was falling down or something but he followed his instinct and ran down the stairs.

"Just what the hell was happening here?"

* * *

Dear Anon, you pleas are being ignored. This is Nanowrimo - it's about writing 50000 words in the November month. I already said in the summary that it's gonna get messy. So ignore this story and search for something else please.

I have 28500 more words to mess around with. Wish me luck. This is a mess so stay away if you can't fathom it. That's why I take months to write a chapter, ideas don't just grow like gossips.


	8. Chapter 8 - Demon Cyborg

9

Genos flew forty feet above ground to survey the landscape for his target, but in a matter of seconds he located the monster which was positioned only a killometre away. The red dinosaur like monster was standing doing nothing but Genos knew better than to underestimate the potential threat it possess. He saw that the monster was standing taller than the trees behind it, his calculations showed him that it was twenty feet tall. He saw that the monster was giving no sign of wanting to start an immediate fight, so he resorted to communicate with it first. Genos was a hundred metres away when the monster turned to it. It showed no response so Genos flew closer until he was thirty metres away. He zoomed onto the monster's eyes and saw that the monster was looking directly at him.

"I am Genos from Konoha Hero Association. What are you here for?" Genos asked.

The monster let out a low rumble of laugh and then lifted it's hand to reveal a light ball in it's palm.

In response Genos readied himself into an attack stance. He aimed his right palm at the twelve foot monster standing twenty metres away from him. He activated his blasters in its lowest setting, showing the monster what his weapons were. He calculated his opponent's potential firepower and possible next attack.

They were both facing each other in a clearance amongst trees which a few kilometres from the city center so he had to also bear in mind that if the field caught fire from their blasts the fight would probably resume in the cities. There are about 10,000 people in the city alone so he better warn Konoha Hero Association first. He sent a note via his wireless connection to Konoha Hero Association (KHA) and then mapped out a few attack strategies.

"State your purpose," Genos warned the monster in a neutral tone.

"Hahahaha," the monster laughed. It's idiotic laughter booming across the field.

"We came here to terrorize Konoha, we will quash everything, blaze your house, your friends and families, until only ashes under our feet," wailed the monster. Then it continued to laugh until Genos couldn't stand anymore but as a hero they had a code of conduct above all since the monster didn't start any attack yet.

Genos readied his other palm for attack and warned, "If that's what you want then I have this to say to you, Konoha is not yours to destroy. The people of Leaf and its protectors will defend it till its dying breath"

"Hahahahha, whatever, you are going down first," the monster said.

Without any hesitation following the ignorant statement from the monster, Genos sent a concentrated shot aimed at the monster's chest. The monster cried from being hit and flopped on its side while wailing painfully.

The crowd chanted Genos' name and everyone cheered. Genos only then realized that he had an audience all along.

A woman's voice boomed across the field. "Let's give a standing ovation to our hero Genos the Demon Cyborg!" Then Genos noticed the camera drones which was shooting him in action.

Genos quickly relaxed and shut down his blazers. He flew down and a voice came into his ears. "Mr Genos please return to the stage for the remainder of the session, and that was a great show!"

"Ok." was all Genos had said.

It was indeed all a show. When the company Super Mosquito Killer had approached him to grace the event, Genos thought that it was just a normal publicity function. He realized that he was still a novelty in Konoha being dubbed 'Demon Cyborg' with his orange eyes. The fangirls and fanaunts made the bulk of his fanteams. Genos didn't usually mind them so he agreed to grace the event and it was also a way to connect with the citizens in a safe surroundings.

At the first meeting the CEO of Super Mosquito Killer, Mei Terumi was instantly taken by Genos. She asked for Genos to do a simple presentation for the Meet The Hero session and he had agreed to it. But when the day approached the 'simple presentation' had turned into a fight sequel. If Sonic had known about this she would have commented "They could kiss my arse for all I care and I still won't do it." But Genos, he would do it because he was a very compliant person when it comes to cheering the public and they offered to recommend his security services to their counterparts for no charge at al. Mei Terumi had offered him a hefty payment for doing the show but Genos declined, he hadn't flexed action muscles for awhile. After they had done a rehearsal and made sure that the mock fight wouldn't harm the public Genos prepared himself to treat the fight scene aka mock fight as something real. Genos didn't have it in him to be a an actor so he had to think of this something real. He was assured that the public would be placed faraway and there would be cameras shooting him and the fight would be viewed on a giant stage at the event location.

Genos finally landed on a raised stage and glanced to his behind where the monster caught on fire was already being hosed down with water by firefighters.

"Thank you Genos the Demon Cyborg, let's welcome the newest addition to our Konoha Hero Association," a host called upon Genos and the crowd.

Genos looked at a green mint haired woman who flew down towards him. She had huge transparent colourful wings which reminded him of dragonfly wings.

"My name is Fu, from Konoha Hero Association and I am your host for today. Now everyone thank you for joining us in this meet the hero session courtesy of Super Mosquito Killer, the number one mosquito killer, efficient and deadly."

The crowd cheered and clapped. A few whistled and phones were being pushed upwards to get a shot of Genos.

"What you just saw was an awesome display of Monster vs Hero fight which we had seen just now. Imagine a twenty foot monster, with malicious threat coming to destroy Konoha, but we hope that will never be as we now have Demon Cyborg to help defend us."

Genos smiled at the crowd and then gave a wave. He glanced again to his back and at the monster - monster effigy behind him which was being gathered into a truck to be taken away. The monster was a mechanized puppet made from plastic and metal. Genos knew real monsters would be much vicious than that, some wouldn't even boast but would approach with rapid fire burning the city into ashes just like they had during the Battle Of Monsters. His thought was with Saitama and he hoped that Saitama-sensei was doing ok in his investigation.

"Say hello to Genos everyone!" the host continued and pulling Genos back to reality.

"Genos, marry me!" someone shouted amongst the crowd.

Genos scanned the crowd and zeroed in on the woman who shouted a marriage proposal to him. His eyes and ears acutely picking her face from the crowd. She was older than him and she was quite pretty. Genos smirked at her and she let out a cry of joy and threw Genos a flying kiss.

"What you have seen just now is a splendid display or power and with us today specially for this event. How are you doing now Mr Genos?"

Genos closed the distance between him and the host and then smiled as Fu handed him another she had grabbed from a side table microphone.

"It feels great to be here today amonsgt people of Konoha. Thank you for accepting me into the community." Genos waved to the crowd before him. He could see Mei Terumi and her officers standing under a tent on a corner of the event venue. They were doing the event in an open area in the edge of the city because they wanted the mock fight at an unpopulated area but still closer to the city.

"I am sure Konoha would love to get upclose and personal with you, tell us more about yourself. Oh, I can see those girls taking selfies from over there. Don't worry girls, we will have an autograph booth if you purchase Super Mosquito Killer's starter pack at rm49.90. For more details please proceed to the counter on your right. So Genos tell us about yourself."

"Thank you Fu," Genos started. He scanned the venue and could see that he barely know anyone here. He smiled a little larger and said, "I was not always a cyborg. A massacre happened in my village and I was only left with a brain, and a good doctor saved me and gave me a whole new body. I have been roaming from city to city for any hints of the one who was responsible for the massacre and found a sensei who taught me everything about being a hero. It is because of him that I became a hero under Hero Association of City A

9

Genos flew forty feet above ground to survey the landscape for his target, but in a matter of seconds he located the monster which was positioned only a killometre away. The red dinosaur like monster was standing doing nothing but Genos knew better than to underestimate the potential threat it possess. He saw that the monster was standing taller than the trees behind it, his calculations showed him that it was twenty feet tall. He saw that the monster was giving no sign of wanting to start an immediate fight, so he resorted to communicate with it first. Genos was a hundred metres away when the monster turned to it. It showed no response so Genos flew closer until he was thirty metres away. He zoomed onto the monster's eyes and saw that the monster was looking directly at him.

"I am Genos from Konoha Hero Association. What are you here for?" Genos asked.

The monster let out a low rumble of laugh and then lifted it's hand to reveal a light ball in it's palm.

In response Genos readied himself into an attack stance. He aimed his right palm at the twelve foot monster standing twenty metres away from him. He activated his blasters in its lowest setting, showing the monster what his weapons were. He calculated his opponent's potential firepower and possible next attack.

They were both facing each other in a clearance amongst trees which a few kilometres from the city center so he had to also bear in mind that if the field caught fire from their blasts the fight would probably resume in the cities. There are about 10,000 people in the city alone so he better warn Konoha Hero Association first. He sent a note via his wireless connection to Konoha Hero Association (KHA) and then mapped out a few attack strategies.

"State your purpose," Genos warned the monster in a neutral tone.

"Hahahaha," the monster laughed. It's idiotic laughter booming across the field.

"We came here to terrorize Konoha, we will quash everything, blaze your house, your friends and families, until only ashes under our feet," wailed the monster. Then it continued to laugh until Genos couldn't stand anymore but as a hero they had a code of conduct above all since the monster didn't start any attack yet.

Genos readied his other palm for attack and warned, "If that's what you want then I have this to say to you, Konoha is not yours to destroy. The people of Leaf and its protectors will defend it till its dying breath"

"Hahahahha, whatever, you are going down first," the monster said.

Without any hesitation following the ignorant statement from the monster, Genos sent a concentrated shot aimed at the monster's chest. The monster cried from being hit and flopped on its side while wailing painfully.

The crowd chanted Genos' name and everyone cheered. Genos only then realized that he had an audience all along.

A woman's voice boomed across the field. "Let's give a standing ovation to our hero Genos the Demon Cyborg!" Then Genos noticed the camera drones which was shooting him in action.

Genos quickly relaxed and shut down his blazers. He flew down and a voice came into his ears. "Mr Genos please return to the stage for the remainder of the session, and that was a great show!"

"Ok." was all Genos had said.

It was indeed all a show. When the company Super Mosquito Killer had approached him to grace the event, Genos thought that it was just a normal publicity function. He realized that he was still a novelty in Konoha being dubbed 'Demon Cyborg' with his orange eyes. The fangirls and fanaunts made the bulk of his fanteams. Genos didn't usually mind them so he agreed to grace the event and it was also a way to connect with the citizens in a safe surroundings.

At the first meeting the CEO of Super Mosquito Killer, Mei Terumi was instantly taken by Genos. She asked for Genos to do a simple presentation for the Meet The Hero session and he had agreed to it. But when the day approached the 'simple presentation' had turned into a fight sequel. If Sonic had known about this she would have commented "They could kiss my arse for all I care and I still won't do it." But Genos, he would do it because he was a very compliant person when it comes to cheering the public and they offered to recommend his security services to their counterparts for no charge at al. Mei Terumi had offered him a hefty payment for doing the show but Genos declined, he hadn't flexed action muscles for awhile. After they had done a rehearsal and made sure that the mock fight wouldn't harm the public Genos prepared himself to treat the fight scene aka mock fight as something real. Genos didn't have it in him to be a an actor so he had to think of this something real. He was assured that the public would be placed faraway and there would be cameras shooting him and the fight would be viewed on a giant stage at the event location.

Genos finally landed on a raised stage and glanced to his behind where the monster caught on fire was already being hosed down with water by firefighters.

"Thank you Genos the Demon Cyborg, let's welcome the newest addition to our Konoha Hero Association," a host called upon Genos and the crowd.

Genos looked at a green mint haired woman who flew down towards him. She had huge transparent colourful wings which reminded him of dragonfly wings.

"My name is Fu, from Konoha Hero Association and I am your host for today." The crowd cheered with her introduction and Genos gauged the audience's reaction. He assumed that she was a well known hero in Konoha too though he had not met her the few times he was at Konoha Hero Association (KHA) office. The KHA had not done any meeting unlike the first meeting where Genos and Saitama had met all of the S class heroes san a Metal Knight, following an attack which could spell an end of their world, or even world. Genos had concluded the only time heroes ever met was maybe during emergencies.

When the cheers died down Fu interrupted. "Thanks for the love, I thought you all had forgotten me seeing the Demon Cyborg by my side. On with the show, everybody, thank you for joining us in this meet the hero session courtesy of Super Mosquito Killer, the number one mosquito killer in Japan and Malaysia, efficient killer in your palm."

The crowd cheered and clapped not at the mosquito repellent but at Genos. A few girls and boys whistled and phones were being pushed upwards to get a shot of Genos.

"What you just saw was an awesome display of Monster vs Hero fight. No monsters was destroyed in the process, unfortunately. Imagine a twenty foot monster, with malicious threat coming to destroy Konoha, but we hope that will never be a huge threat to us, as we now have Demon Cyborg to help defend Konoha.

The crowd cheered and Genos smiled at the crowd and then gave a wave. He glanced again to his back and at the monster – a mechanized paper, plastic and metal effigy - was being gathered into a truck to be taken away. Genos knew real monsters would be much more vicious than that both in shape and manner. Most of the monsters Genos had met would greet the heroes with a boastful introduction before attacking, but some wouldn't even stop to say hi and instead approach them with rapid attacks burning the city into ashes just like they had during the Battle Of Monsters. That brought his thoughts to Saitama and he hoped that Saitama-sensei was doing ok in his investigation. Last he heard Saitama was somewhere in ASEAN following a believable lead.

"Say hello to Genos everyone!" the host continued and pulling Genos back to reality.

"Genos, marry me!" someone shouted amongst the crowd.

Genos scanned the crowd and zeroed in on the woman who shouted a marriage proposal to him. His eyes and ears acutely picking her face from the crowd. She was older than him and she was quite pretty. Genos smirked at her and she let out a cry of joy and threw Genos a flying kiss.

"What you have seen just now is a splendid display or power and with us today specially for this event. How are you doing now Mr Genos?"

Genos closed the distance between him and the host and then smiled as Fu handed him another she had grabbed from a side table microphone.

"It feels great to be here today amonsgt people of Konoha. Thank you for accepting me into the community." Genos waved to the crowd before him. He could see Mei Terumi and her officers standing under a tent on a corner of the event venue. They were doing the event in an open area in the edge of the city because they wanted the mock fight at an unpopulated area but still closer to the city.

"I am sure Konoha would love to get upclose and personal with you, tell us more about yourself. Oh, I can see those girls taking selfies from over there. Don't worry girls, we will have an autograph booth if you purchase Super Mosquito Killer's starter pack at rm49.90. For more details please proceed to the counter on your right. So Genos tell us about yourself."

"Thank you Fu," Genos started. He scanned the venue and could see that he barely know anyone here. He smiled a little larger and said, "I was not always a cyborg. A massacre happened in my village and I was only left with a brain, and a good doctor saved me and gave me a whole new body. I have been roaming from city to city for any hints of the one who was responsible for the massacre and found a sensei who taught me everything about being a hero. It is because of him that I became a hero under Hero Association and following the aftermath of Battle Of Monsters had to recuperate while waiting for a new body. Then while the cities were being evacuated and some of the heroes travelled overseas to investigate the forces behind the Battle, I was scouted by Mayor Tsunade.." Genos quickly scanned the area and found Mayor Tsunade talking to a white haired tall man.

"As I was saying, she scouted me and offered me to be a part of Konoha Hero Association for two years and also to upgrade my skills in battle and exchange knowledge with my fellow heroes in Konoha Hero Association," Genos turned to Fu and smiled at her.

"Well, welcome to Konoha. How about your current life here, what do you do apart from being a hero?" Fu said.

It was a trivial question actually, but Genos knew many of Konohans would probably ask the same question. Konoha was considered a safe city until a few attacks which had been thwarted by Maito and Rock Lee the Green Beasts. A crazed Konoha citizen by the name of Zetsu had been doing animal hybrid experiment at his secluded home and unleashed a terror of carnivourous plant and animal a year ago. It was reminiscent of the happenings in where Genos was from and when Mayor Tsunade heard that the heroes of cities A to E were down with no activity following the Batlle, she had looked into recruiting Genos to KHA.

"Apart from training and learning more about Konoha battle tactics and exchanging knowledge with the Association and fellow heroes, I am currently doing freelance work with my partner Miss Sonic."

"Miss Sonic?"  
"Is that your girlfriend?"  
"I thought he's single".

Genos enhanced hearing could pick up the faint comments and questions among the crowd but he ignored them.

"We hope that you have a nice day in Konoha and we will talk with Genos the Demon Cyborg later, thank you Genos. Next up is Kurenai and Asuma with their legendary swords and weapons skill. Be mesmerized."

The crowd cheered and Fu whispered into Genos' ear, "Maybe we can exit via flight instead of walking out?" Genos nodded at her suggestion and then grabbed her waist and activated his thrusters. "Get ready Miss Fu."

"Goodbye everyone and thank you for the lovely time," he said and him and Fu flew away to the guests' tent. Everyone cheered and wolf whistled at them He had Fu shrieking delightfully at his sudden stunt of grabbing her and flew away like that.

When they landed in the closed off area of the guests's tent Fu laughed and wriggled from her grip.

"Sorry about that," Genos said smirking naughtily. He had begun to be infected by Sonic's naughty nature he thought, spontaneity was indeed fun.

"That was fun, but I have my own wings Genos. Hahahha," Fu laughed until she tumbled over a table while walking out, luckily Rock Lee was just besid her and caught her in time.

"Be careful Miss Fu, how about learning Taijutsu from us?" Rock Lee gave his best hero pose to Fu.

"That would be good, but you all seem to be so busy with your charity taijutsu class, do you actually have time for me? Fu said while still heaving from her sudden flight.

"Sure, Gai-sensei would happily slot you in anytime you find the free time to come along."

"Ah, then let me check my schedule first," Fu said. She then remembered that she was supposed to take Genos to the dining area to have brunch. "Excuse me Lee-san, I have to take Genos along for brunch, call my people to arrange things later."

Rock Lee was this time balancing a huge vase of flower on his index finger and Genos looked around, he was sure the vase came out of nowhere.

"Sure thing, I will let my PR call yours. Have a nice brunch, beautiful flower," Lee said.

Fu laughed and grabbed for Genos' hand and pulled him along. The trudged along a few tents and entered the dining area. There were a few dark haired people inside and Genos saw that they all had white eyes, the closer he came he could see that their eyes weren't white but a really light lavender.

"Good morning Mr Hyugaas and Miss Hyuga. The four long haired people looked at her and then said, "Good morning Miss Fu."

"This is Genos-kun, here under invitation from Mayor Tsunade," she said.

"Please be seated and have lunch with us Miss Fu and Genos-kun," one of the older looking lavender eyed people invited them.

Genos let a small smile appear on his fae, he didn't want to appear to be unfriendly. Who knows that they might be his clients one day, he knew Sonic would be useless in the networking division so he did all the clients scouring while Sonic took care of the dirty job. He then noticed that the four were wearing kimono and haori and he noticed that the two younger people were actually a woman and a pretty man. He slightly glanced to the other older men and then noticed they looked totally alike.

"Sure, thank you Hiashi-sama," Fu said happily. "Genos, these members of one of the prominent clan in Konoha, "Hiashi and Hizashi-sama, their children Neji-san and Hinata-chan. They are owners of the Hyuga Corps, the company which provides electricity to Konoha."

They all nodded and Genos and he tensed at having to eat with them, but then Hinata broke into a smile, "I am a fan of Saitama-sensei… I lllike how… how he is a hero with no flashy clothes and just an awesome sense of justice." Hinata blushed.

Genos smiled and bent to honour them, "Thank you Hinata-chan, he would love to hear your praises."  
"Now, let's sit down and Waiter!" Fu called for an approaching employee who wore an apron around his waist with a cap on his head.

As they sat beside the Hyuga, Fu who must have been very close to everyone in Konoha made a quick comment regarding the Hyuuga, "Neji and Hinata are psychics and they are part of KHA too."

Genos tried remembering that and noted that there were even normal looking heroes. Ok, so the Hyuga don't really look normal at all but still in their kimono and haoris looked very normal.

"Fu, don't forget us."

"Ah, sorry Hiashi-sama, my favourite twins of all Konoha are also psychics but they have since retired to run their business." Fu explained as she thanked the waiter for handing her the menu.

Hiashi shot her a glare while Hizashi ruffled her mint green hair. Fu just laughed with adoration. 

Genos received his menu and promptly browsed for something none oily and fish based. He noted fish soup and decided to order it with rice.

"Would you like to order now miss?" asked the waiter who stood purposely beside their table.

Fu smiled at the waiter and made her order… but a male voice proceeded "She's ordering beef hotpot and Genos-kun, fish soup with rice. Drinks, iced green tea and coffee."

Fu looked at Hiashi and pouted, "Uncle, there's no need to flaunt your powers around."

Genos nodded in amusement at their exchange.

"These are my godfathers actually. My mom was also a hero and when she died giving birth to me. I lived at the Hyuga Village until I got these wings and became a jinchuuriki at 12, well cut story short I entered the Hero Academy in Mumbai, and now live at KHA quarters since I was 16. Don't be fooled by their tight faces, they are all nice people."

Hinata got up and hugged Fu from behind, "Thanks Minty, that… that was nice."

"I love you too Nata-chan," Fu grabbed on Hinata's hands which were wrapped around her neck and smiled.

"Is that all sirs and madams?" the waiter asked breaking up their banter.

"Yes that's all", Genos replied. He was sure that was all that they were ordering. He was hungry, his energy was low. He didn't want to use his reserves on a slow day like this.

"Thank you," Fu sing songed to the waiter. The waiter laughed and went to the kitchen to pass their orders.

"Genos," Neji said. His lavender eyes on his golden ones.

"Yes, Neji-san."

"I am intrigued by your ability to stay human though you are essentially artificial intelligence."

"The honours should be directed to my good doctor . This was all his genius showing. Mine was only in executing his inventions towards the good of mankind."

Neji smiled and nodded at his father. "We would like to extend our invitation to to come to Konoha and share knowldege with us."

"I will relay your invitation Hyuga-sama, but Dr is currently engaged with reviving his destroyed laboratory. But he will surely welcome any chance to further his research and development. Thank you sirs."

Neji smiled widely and replied, "I understand that. We were also impressed by the recent developments in the destroyed cities. Our condolences on the Battle. We hope there will never be another."

"Yes," Genos said. He was very passionate when it comes to preventing another Battle. "My sensei Saitama is working with other heroee at the moment to fidn the cause for it. They came at us with surprise.

Suddenly the ground was shaken and Hinata's cup of water vibrated. Everyone held onto their seats, Genos sat up and his heightened hearing located something unusual outside the tents. He scrambled outside and saw something very familiar.

There just above the horizon of Konoha's forest, where the trees lined up in a harmonious row a very familiar looking monstrosity hovered. 

Genos grabbed his phone and dialled Sonic's number. He gritted his teeth and impatiently waited for his roommate to answer his call.

"Sonic get out of the house, run!" he shouted as soon as he heard Sonic's lazy before lunch voice.

"Run!"


	9. Chapter 9 - Revelation

_Event happening before monsters attack_

9

Two weeks ago Sasuke was busy thinking about his dream, what those eyes had meant, why he could never reach them in his dreams and most importantly why Itachi had appeared in his dream that one time he was at Deidara's office.

He was not bothered by Itachi's cameo appearance in his dream, but he was intrigued. It showed that Itachi affected him more than he was aware. As his big brother, Sasuke had major respect for him and It wasn't strange but Sasuke need to know more.

Deidara had asked Sasuke about his childhood, about what type of siblings relationship did he and Itachi had. Of course they were close.

"There's only two of us," Sasuke admitted.

First and foremost when Deidara asked how Itachi was as a brother, Sasuke remembered the good memories because he had plenty of that with Itachi. Itachi was a good brother and Sasuke was certain that even if they were married and lived oceans apart, they would still be able to maintain their close bond despite arguments are anything coming in between.

But as sons to business parents, Itachi and Sasuke had to endure a lot of unwanted opinions from people who liked to compare between them two. Itachi was a fast learner, very obedient, outgoing and was popular among their aunties. On the other hand, Sasuke was reserved, quite dependent on his mother and Itachi for attention and companion, and was never comfortable in a public situation if there was no immediate need.

When Itachi was 10 year old, Sasuke remembered his father bringing home a school bag saying that Itachi's bag was needing replacement. Sasuke saw the bag and was instantly jealous over it, so when Itachi was busy demonstrating the bag in front of their parents, 5 year old Sasuke had gone to his room to sulk. When dinner time came, Itachi had wondered why Sasuke was so solemn and moody. Sasuke declined to explain and their parents didn't bother to ask him, only noting that Sasuke had no need for a school bag since he had all his things at the school and at their study room.

That night Itachi talked to Sasuke about his new bag, saying that Sasuke would have to be patient with some things. The sulky preschooler was silent when Itachi began explaining. Sasuke didn't understand why their parents can't buy two of the same bags since they work and they seem to have fine things in their life. In response Itachi showed him children with torn bags and some even brought plastic bags to put their books in, and bring that plastic to school. It took awhile before Sasuke realized that these people were unfortunate.

Itachi had explained that though their parents were capable of buying them a bag for everyday of the school year, there was no sense in buying things and wasting. Not that giving Sasuke a bag was a wasteful thing to do. It was just more practical to not buy something when you have no need for it. Sasuke was confused and it took him years before he finally understood the difference between need and demand.

On the surface, Deidara interpreted Sasuke's dream as a deep seated want to emulate his brother but something was holding him down. The blond dream interpreter had used a dream reference manual to interpret Sasuke's dream. He said the interpretation was only his view and opinion. It was all up to Sasuke to believe in it or not.

Deidara said he would need a few days to prepare an in depth report of what Sasuke's dreams meant and what he should do if it was bothering him in the future. Deidara's parting words were, "dreams are windows to your soul, sometimes it means something, but sometimes it's just a play of your mind."

A week ago his dream report had arrived at his apartment. But Sasuke declined to open it, just putting it on his dining table until he had time to browse over it. He had put off opening it until today.

There was nothing on tv and Sasuke glanced at the report. Slowly he stood and grabbed for the envelope, wondering would his life change.

FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE

Sasuke had just started living on his own about a year ago because Mikoto wanted him to be independent and manage his own personal life though she was sure that Sasuke would only spend all his time being a hermit at home. Sasuke didn't bother to find a housemate since he was apprehensive about the housemate bringing in strangers. He also never brought anyone home, preferring to visit Itachi's and their parent's house, than the other way around. Sasuke spent little time at home, preferring to spend it at the office, events or at his parent's house about 7 kilometers from here.

Sitting on his sofa Sasuke flipped to the last page of Deidara's typed report regarding his dream. The segment was titled…

 **Prologue**

While this report is based on a five year research and case study, it is in no way should be regarded as the formal answer to the meaning of this person's dream. Each person would be the best judge in how to handle their dreams and nightmares. I could only advise and offer my insight on the dream world. For a more precise description please contact me for a sharing session.

Sasuke chuckled, Deidara still managed to promote his business at the end of his report. That was a good business strategy,quite annoying but it helped the company at least a percentage of attention from the public though he was sure he would be burning the report after he was finished reading it.

Sasuke then started reading the ten page report. It started with analogy on dreams, the exact words Deidara had told him.

"Dreams are windows to your soul, sometimes it means something, but sometimes it's just a play of your mind."

Then it had two pages of 'Definitions of elements' present in Sasuke's dreams and what it could symbolise. Elements like the eye, what red might mean, why there was resistance in a dreamer unable to approach his dream subject, and why someone is present in a dream.

Sasuke flipped the case study describing him and went directly to the page on interpretation of his dream. He read it for a quiet ten minutes before closing it and putting it on his coffees table.

He laughed until he was crying. It rang true, everything the dream interpretation said was things he had thought about from time to time, but he kept shoving them away for later. Today they all came crashing in him.

Sasuke palmed his face in a mix of emotion: happiness, sadness and regret. Regret was something he had been shoving to the back of his head, regret regarding his life in general. He felt like he had a quarter life crisis, like everything he did was mediocre.

Sasuke flipped back to the page on Definitions of Elements, looking at what the eyes and redness meant. They were defined as, " Raw energy, force, vigour, power, courage, impulsiveness and passion."

Deidara had mentioned that redness in eyes could mean, "deep emotional and spiritual connotations." So Sasuke closed his eyes and remembered the red eyes looking at him, he never saw whose face the red eyes belonged to, but those e eyes were enough to catch him. The swirling red commas or tomoes as Deidara had called were moving in circles before settling in its place and calling Sasuke to it. Based in its description, it symbolizes power and raw force which Sasuke knew he was lacking. He couldn't reach those eyes time and time again because he was reluctant to escape his comfort zone. Like right now he had been stalling his mother's demand for him to head the New Media Department because he thought he was too junior for that post. So he kept changing departments after a year to gain experience until he was finally in his current department under Itachi. He loved his job at the campaigns department, mostly because he could his brother every day since they were no longer living under one roof. Their mother sometimes came by the office especially after Itachi returned from overseas work visit. Sasuke was very comfortable and he realized this was what the dream meant.

He needed something raw, a wake up call from his current state. In a nutshell, Sasuke was stagnant in life, work, relationship and with his own self. He had led a life with no challenges, maybe except when it came to his relationship with his family. They weren't the most dysfunctional nor were they the most happy, but that one thing kept him afloat. He was making himself dull and complacent, and underneath it all he damaging himself.

What was Itachi doing in his dream. Itachi was part of the thing which made Sasuke be where he was. He was happy just sitting by Itachi letting his brother shine, he thought that was it. His dream meant that he wanted the same thing happening to Itachi but was too afraid to be just that. He was younger than 30 year old Itachi, who in time will be promoted to a higher management position. Sasuke thought there was no leader material in himself, he was better off working along than managing a team of people like Itachi. They were involved in the entertainment business and Sasuke knew he didn't have the ability to face their clients and still be himself like Itachi. His nii-san was a people's person unlike him.

Sasuke realized that he had been afraid of pursuing his full potential all along. He had been hiding in his nii-san's shadows for a few years now. His mother had told him that she would be waiting for him to fill the position, but Sasuke realized that she wouldn't be waiting forever. Filling the position as head of New Media wasn't just about getting an upgrade, it was also realizing that he had to grow up and see that life is not just about himself.

Sasuke looked around his house, at the barren model style he had adopted for his comfort. There was nothing which screams unique, and that was something Sasuke kept in his life. All throughout his life, he maintained a constant style which is very self dependent and lackluster. He barely had friends if not for his office mates who respected him as a good employee of Uchiha Works, and subtly as son of the big boss.

Sasuke got up and walked to his balcony and stopped by his apartment's sliding doors separating his living room and balcony. He peered from the sheer curtain to the pool just outside his balcony. Sasuke's apartment was on level three. He could just jump from his balcony into the pool of he could manage a ten meter gap from his balcony to the pool. Sasuke shoved that thought away and smiled at himself.

If his office mates were to know about the silly things sometimes swirling in his brain, they wouldn't be treating him like right now. He was only human no more different than them.

His officemates mostly talked to him on a working basis except Sakura. She was the only one who never let his status as the boss's son to intimidate her friendship with him. She was the only person who cared to talk to him after school ended. Sasuke closed his media social account awhile back and only kept his emails because it was standard communication tool. He never found joy in updating his daily activities or anything to his friends. With his family was another story, he knew his father had a network of security all over town to keep an eye on their precious sons.

Sasuke marvelled at Sakura, she was single and that was weird because she took care of people around her like a mother hen. She was always extending invitation to Sasuke to have lunch with people he could tolerate. She knew his comfort level and that was something Sasuke had just now realized.

So his dream was just about him afraid of branching out for his future. Sasuke laughed again until he lay curled on the floor. He needed a long talk with his ini-san tomorrow morning.

FIRE. FIRE. FIRE. FIRE. FIRE.

"Good morning Sasuke, how can I help you?" Itachi asked without taking his eyes off his laptop.

"With my life," the younger man said.

Sasuke closed the door behind him, noting that his brother was wearing his jacket suit. So he checked his time and saw that it was 15 minutes past eight am. His brother would be out the door in fifteen.

Itachi glanced at his brother's unusually casual clothes and sunglasses. "Heading somewhere directly after work?" he asked.

Sasuke plopped on his brother's sofa and took off his sunglasses.

"No.I just couldn't be bothered with ironing today and mom told me we can dress casually anyway."

Itachi smirked, "You never dressed casually at the office unlike half of the others."

"Time for a change maybe," Sasuke smirked back.

Itachi finished typing and closed his laptop. He walked over to Sasuke and perched on his side's armrest.

"Now, what life are you talking about?"

"This?" Sasuke pointed his finger to himself.

"What seems to be the exact problem?"

"Well…" Sasuke started. Suddenly he was wary that Itachi would be laughing at him. But this was his brother who held him while he cried from falling down a flat ground.

"I think I want to change my life around. I want to explore my full potential."

Itachi smiled and let out a low laugh. "That's what I've been egging you on, and you only wanted this after I appeared in your dream?"

"No, that wasn't it. I've realized it long ago, but I was afraid."

Sasuke grimaced and bent forward, his eyes fixed into his shoes. "I am afraid of the inevitable, I was always in your shadows for the longest time and I was comfortable being just that."

Itachi frowned and moved to sit beside his brother. "I am more concerned about you feeling like that, you don't have to change just because of me. You have to be your own person, but you make me feel guilty about my shadow."

Sasuke smirked and turned to see the playful smirk on his brother's face.

"You are always joking around even when I'm like this," Sasuke pouted. He hadn't pouted for awhile now. It was childish but Sasuke wanted to feel childish right now.

"It's about time you realize that we have been pushing things at you and you don't take it until you realized something. Mom said you aren't like me, I was an obedient child while you rebelled all the way. But mom being mom just told me and dad to wait. Look, you finally accepted it became you wanted it."

Sasuke let those words sink into him. He realized that his family know more about him than he thought. Then he felt Itachi's smirk on him.

"Don't you have somewhere to go?" Sasuke asked and glanced at his brother's jacket, it was new for sure. And then he saw a glint on his brother's ring finger. He pulled his brother's hand onto his face and saw that it was a platinum engagement ring.

"What's this?" he let go of his brother's hand and frowned. If his nii-san was getting engaged it was a total surprise. dO I mom and that know about this?"

"Yes. She proposed to me this morning."

"Who?" Sasuke demanded. He hardly saw Itachi going out with anyone. To think back, he never knew who his brother's girlfriends were.

"It took me by surprise too. We had been the longest of friends and she suddenly popped the question while I was making coffee."

"Tell me who is it Nii-san?" Sasuke whined. He really was bothersome when he needs to be.

"You'll meet her at dinner tomorrow night. Be home at 7."

Sasuke pouted again. Itachi would carry his secret to the grave if he needed to.

FIRE. FIRE. FIRE. FIRE. FIRE.

The next day Sasuke continued to bug his brother for his future sister-in law's identity. But Itachi just shoved him aside verbally and bribed Sasuke if he would just stop asking. Sasuke agreed and asked for a motorbike in return. Itachi just rolled his eyes at his brother's childish acts.

Itachi thought he was finally free from today's brotherly assault. He was preparing a paperwork for a new account when Sasuke said.

"Maybe I need a wife too?"

Itachi's eye widened at his brother's statement. "What the hell Sasuke?"

He saved his documents and looked at his not so little, younger brother but surely a naive one.

"Yeah. I need a companion."

"That's absurd. You don't just marry for the sake of companionship or because of this quarter life crisis you're having. What are you thinking Sasuke?"

Sasuke paused and thought, he might taking things drastically but it was a change. Maybe he needed someone to knock reality into him. Someone who could work with him on any kind of situation.

"This is real nii-san, I need someone."

Itachi sighed and searched his brain for an idea. As mature as he was, the couple, marriage and love subject was something he was very new in. It was unlike his love for his family which knows no bound.

"How about someone you already know?" Itachi thought about Sakura, that was someone who knew Sasuke for a long time. And if he wasn't mistaken, Sakura was one of the few person who have had lunch with his brother.

"Hnnn."

"So?"

"I need someone else. She's a friend."

"And why is a friend a bad choice for a wife?"

"She already has a perception of me, the old me. I don't want that."

Itachi sighed, "Sasuke really, you can't want someone to be an ideal version of your dream girl. She does not exist."

"In that case, I'll do an audition?"

Itachi sighed again but then smiled. He realized Sasuke was the same old inside, still insecure and afraid. But if he wants change, Sasuke would have to do it on his own pace."

"Just do what feels right for you. If she turned out to be a failure, don't reject her without explanation. Tell her your intentions."

"Thanks Itachi, I'll get on it right away. Maybe I should ask Sakura to help. It would be awkward to push this campaign alone." Sasuke smirked at his own words.

Itachi took his jacket from his chair and wore it. "I'm off now. You want to follow?"

"Hnnn," Sasuke said.

"Well then see you later little brother."

Sasuke led his brother to exit the office when his eyes fixed onto Sakura's green eyes.

"Hey Sakura," he greeted.

Itachi smirked when he heard Sasuke spoke. He would sure love to see how this played out. Exiting the office he inwardly wished his brother good luck in his wife finding mission.


	10. Chapter 10 - Abrupt

_Event happening before the monster attack._

10

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura called as she arrived at his desk holding a stack of folders for him to see. But… unexpectedly he wasn't at his desk like always. She peered at the things on his desk and nothing was being moved from its usual place. She was confused it was unlike him to not start work immediately upon entering the office. She had not heard about him being sick or taking leave, both of which was rare for him.

The headphones which he would wore on his head was neatly placed on the folders, the wires neatly coiled in a circle. Sakura leaned over his desk to peer at the pen he would place on his desk in case he needed to write something and found none. She thought that this was unusual.

Sakura checked her other co-workers. The Department of Campaigns was already filled with their other office mates, but the familiar spiky haired head was nowhere to be seen. She wanted to pass him a few accounts which needed an immediate second opinion from him. These clients had some issues which needed his attention, one whose CEO died and was succeeded by his son who wanted to discontinue their contract with Uchiha Works, another was always late in payment and one account had been suspended following the CEO unable to pay after he was involved with a corruption charge.

Sighing, Sakura squeezed the folders which she was carrying and brought it to their department file keeper. She had some other matter to attend at the Department of Marketing so she couldn't just stay at the office until Sasuke arrives.

"Good morning Kurenai-senpai."

The red eyed file keeper glanced at Sakura and greeted in return, "Good morning Sakura-chan."

"Kurenai-senpai please pass these folders to Sasuke-san, I need him to check these files by tomorrow."

Kurenai nodded and frowned at Sakura, "I just saw Sasuke-san some time ago. I think he is in Itachi-san's office."

"Owh," Sakura said.

She knew that if Sasuke was meeting Itachi it was most likely because he was having some sort of personal problem. He wouldn't meet Itachi about work because Sasuke only ever needed Itachi when it comes to major decisions like the need to reject high profile clients or executing an international campaign. Other matters were mostly handled by Sasuke himself.

She didn't want to disturb Sasuke but she wondered if he was not feeling well. She had noticed that Sasuke had been looking pale and lethargic sometimes in the past few weeks. Sakura wondered if she should ask Itachi about Sasuke. She knew Itachi wouldn't mind since Itachi himself had at other times asked Sakura to watch over his brother. Sakura found herself standing outside Itachi's office while pondering whether she should ask her boss about his brother when the door opened.

Sasuke's eyes instantly met the neatly styled pink bob of his officemate the moment he opened Itachi's office door. He moved south and his eyes met the surprised green eyes of the pink haired woman.

"Hey Sakura," he greeted.

"Ah, hey," Sakura greeted in response, she checked Sasuke's flushed complexion and unusually cheery demeanour.

"Is this the right time to talk about work? I have some accounts for you to double check," Sakura asked.

"Sure thing, bring them into Itachi's office. We can go over them together."

Sasuke turned back to his brother and called for Itachi, "Niisan, I need to borrow your office since you're going out."

In a second Itachi appeared from his office wearing a neatly pressed grey jacket suit and jeans. His black shiny hair was braided neatly on the back and swept to one side of his shoulder. He turned to Sasuke and mussed his younger brother's hair.

"Move into Department of New Media and get your own office little brother," Itachi smirked as he messed up Sasuke's hair.

"I'll think about it," Sasuke retorted.

Sasuke then rolled his eyes and then shooed his brother away. "You should be going now Itachi, we have work to do."

Itachi smirked at his brother and then bowed to Sakura, "Please watch over my brother Sakura-chan, I have a meeting with a client today. Maybe I won't be back this evening because we are visiting Konoha Studios after the meeting."

Sakura nodded and moved aside as a sign for her boss to get going.

"Yes boss," she said. She was delighted whenever Itachi had told her to watch over Sasuke. Not that Sasuke was going to misbehave when his boss was not around but it was Itachi's way of acknowledging Sakura's long friendship with Sasuke. However Sakura didn't dare comment more on that since she was not sure whether Itachi saw her as a potential sister in law or even as Sasuke's girlfriend.

Hell, she was even unsure if Sasuke was going to reciprocate her subtle hints at wanting Sasuke and her be more than office mates.

She used to fall hard for Sasuke and had asked him out to a movie out when they were in different departments about two years ago. But Sasuke told her that he wasn't available at night since he had plans. Sakura wondered what those plans were since he was constantly declining her invitation. Still he hadn't comment anything at all about her at all.

Sasuke pulled Sakura inside Itachi's office and pushed her inside. Sakura went into Itachi's office further surprised by Itachi's manhandling her.

"Sasuke? What's happened?" 

"I think I need to change things Sakura, tell me, what do you think about me?"

"Ah, I think you are a great co-worker, always on hand to help anyone with problem." Sakura bit her teeth, she thought Sasuke was acting weird. He had never cared about what others think about him and today he was asking Sakura about her personal opinion on him.

Sasuke sat on the sofa and gestured for Sakura to do so. "Please have a seat too Sakura."

Sakura blinked questioningly but still approached the sofa to be seated.

"Since we knew each other for a long time, I thought we'd do this," Sasuke said.

Sakura was not sure what Sasuke was onto but she sat facing him waiting for the bomb to drop.

"I think I need to have someone in my life," Sasuke started.

 _Finally!_ Sakura shouted inside. This could be the moment where Sasuke propose to her.

 _OH MY GOD!_

"So, I need you to be on a look out for someone around our age, who is receptive of a moody and apathetic guy, someone who is independent, and most importantly knows about Uchiha Works. Anyway, don't you need a pen and paper for that?" Sasuke rattled on.

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. Sasuke was totally ignoring her again.

"There's a note pad and pen on Itachi's desk, you can use that."

Sakura got up and awkwardly approached Itachi's desk and fetched the pen and paper. She was very bothered.

"Maybe we should do an audition, get her to work here. I need someone who understands me and what greater way to test my future wife than let her be my co-worker. Though we can't tell her right away that it is an audition for a wife." Sasuke grimaced and made a face.

Sakura turned slowly and looked at Sasuke. "A wife? Really Sasuke you are looking for a wife? Why now?"

Sasuke looked at Sakura and laughed, "I know right, it was all so sudden. I am not really sure about this either, but my mother and Itachi wanted me to at least befriend someone. I am just calling it a wife project because I want to find the one. I don't want to spend unnecessary time to get to know someone and then have a relationship for years and then waste my years getting to know them."

Sakura braved herself, she had to somehow go along with Sasuke's idiotic 'project' / 'program' / 'thing' whatever this mate searching is called. Her mouth was itching to tell him that she had been there all along and the first person he should be considering for the project wife project was Sakura Haruno and not some stranger.

She walked hesitantly towards the sofa and seated herself.

"Now, I want you to create an advertisement for an employee call out. To think again, I don't really care whether this wife is a woman or man, so don't state the gender. Just do a call out for an Assistant Campaigns Manager, aged 23 to 30, have experience in marketing / sales / advertising, live locally, that criteria is a bonus because the closer she lived the more time she could spend at work and the more I will get to know her."

"Mmm Sasuke-kun, don't you want someone you already know?" Sakura asked.

Sakura paused for thinking, but then he said, "Itachi suggested me that, but I want to cast my net wider. I already know everyone here but it would help to know if there are compatible person out there." 

Sakura sighed, really she didn't see Sasuke to be this dumb. She had pegged him for being a brilliant campaigns manager but it appeared he was ignorant and stupid when it comes to the matter of the heart.

"Sasuke-kun why this sudden with the wife thing?" Sakura queried. She was bothered and angry but she still wrote down Sasuke's demand, this was one campaign she wasn't looking forward to manage.

"These past few days things had happened. I don't want to die without experiencing human things, Itachi said i have been self absorbed for too long."

Sakura gaped at Sasuke, she almost said. _I could be your baby mama if you would just ask me._

"Sakura, would you do the honour of doing this campaign for me, I'd pay you triple the normal charge," Sasuke was suddenly on one knee and was looking at Sakura from below.

Sakura's head was spinning, she saw Sasuke in a white tuxedo kneeling to propose to her and the image crumbled and faded with his proposal.

"Haaa," was all she could reply.

"Ok then, thanks for agreeing and now I need to go to the hairdresser for a haircut. Can't get the new staff seeing their boss like this right." Sasuke said as he was up on his two feet and was opening the door for Sakura.

"Come on, you must have a tonne of thing to do. I'll go over the accounts after I return from the hair dresser's. Thanks Sakura, I know you'd understand me and would help me with this.

Sasuke nudged Sakura's unmoving body slightly and she automatically got up and exited Itachi's office. She walked until she reached her desk.

"Well see you around Sakura, we'll get down to the campaigns details tomorrow."

Sasuke waved at Sakura and got out the office. He was the boss's son but it was rare for him to abuse his position for his personal errands. Sakura ignored that fact and sat at her desk with the pen and paper still in her hands. She was shocked, bothered and angry. She sighed and slumped on her desk and wailed inwardly. There was only so much ignorance that a woman can take.

Sakura decided that she would do something about this, thought she knew Sasuke had no inclinations towards her at all before, and it was absurd for him to suddenly notice her now. But… she would have to try, he seemed like he was searching for a wife only, so he was looking for someone practical and suitable for him at this moment. Sakura knew she could adapt, she would have to adapt she thought as her co-workers looked questioningly at her worn down figure.


	11. Chapter 11 - Cry Me A River

_Event happening before the monster attack._

11

Sakura went home feeling crushed at the thought of losing Sasuke to some random girl. As she closed the door to her apartment she mumbled to herself angrily.

"What does he think he's doing jumping me with this stupid campaign? Does he seriously think he could find someone who can work with him in a few weeks and then get them to be his wife?"

Sakura's tears started to fall as she kicked her heels aside. She rushed to her sofa, reached for her slug plushie and lay down.

As someone who had been there with Sasuke all through school and now at work, she knew his likes and dislikes. She realized that she might the be the only other female friend he had apart from Hinata who was a family friend. When they became co-workers, Sakura had been particularly attentive when she noticed that Sasuke had turned into a secluded person, though he was a good worker. His smiles were mostly reserved for their clients and he often spend lunches at the office with Itachi. If Itachi was away, he'd be at the employee's reading area alone. Thought they only talked about work never reminiscing about the past, Sakura then braved enough to start inviting Sasuke to lunches with Shikamaru and any of their old school friends. After a few rejected invitation he did went along, maybe because Itachi was busy at times and eating take away was boring. Sakura made sure that she would only invite if Shikamaru came along, Sasuke would usually excuse himself early if Shikamaru was not there. Sakura had been very attentive, maybe too attentive.

Sakura had known Mikoto Uchiha, as their mothers were school mates and presently as her employer. Sakura wondered if approaching Mikoto and telling her about her son's idiotic campaign would change anything. Probably not she thought. Even Itachi went along with Sasuke's stubbornness, his mother would just tolerate him along the way. Mikoto preferred Sasuke to lead his own life rather than order him around.

"Of all the men in your life, you still reach out for the one you can't have Sakura. You are such an idiot!" Sakura was seriously angry with herself as she wiped her tears away, some of the tears into her Lady Katsuyu plush, a slug shaped plushie she had since aeons ago.

Her mind was swamped with all kinds of emotions regarding Sasuke Uchiha. She moved from lying to sitting down massaging her throbbing temple. Then Sakura stared at the whites of her ceiling, the fan above not spinning around because she couldn't care about other things apart from her Sasuke dilemma right now.

"What do I do? What do I do?" she sighed out loud.

Then she heard the rustles of keys and her apartment door being opened. Sakura looked at the door's direction and remembered that she lived with Ino and she was coming home today. Ino was her best friend and roommate. One of those people whom Sakura had no problem about showing her true self, so she got back to staring at the ceiling with Lady Katsuya in her grip.

"Why so gloom?" Ino asked as she took off her high heels and slipped into home slippers.

"Idiot me and idiot Sasuke."

"Ah babe, tell me."

Sakura moved aside to give space so Ino could sit beside her. She was glad that Ino was here tonight. The blondie roommate was often away now, since she was engaged a year ago to their senpai named Sai. Now Ino split her time between their shared apartment and her boyfriend's house. They had not decided to move in together since Sai's apartment was full of his arts stuff and Ino still wanted to maintain her own personal space until they find a dream house later.

Ino was here and she was ready to listen to Sakura's problem. The blonde girl hugged Sakura shoulders and they stayed like that for a moment. Feeling better Sakura sighed again, Ino took it as a sign to ask more.

"What did he do this time? Didn't you have anything better to do than be gloomy about someone who doesn't care at all about you?" Ino asked.

She then held her tongue, if Ino wanted, she could have launched an entire tirade about why Sakura should find someone else. There was only pain in waiting for someone as clueless as Sasuke. But Ino knew that Sakura was still in denial. Maybe this was the push Sakura needed to forget about her negative potential of having any kind of romantic relationship with Sasuke. There were tonnes less than perfect guys out there, less perfect but better at reciprocating a girl's feelings. Ino thought maybe, Sakura should start having hobbies instead of spending her time hoping for hopeless Sasuke or any other man. Desperation was ugly.

Sakura wiped her tearing eyes again and blinked a few times. She knew she would have to let it all out.

"I guess I have always thought that we could end up together one day, like how my Mom and Dad, or you and Sai. Like all the forces of nature would push us together," Sakura said.

Ino then decided to entertain her friend with positive thoughts instead of directly bashing Sasuke, or her denial. "Oh like when we were in school, Sasuke was elected President of Student Body and then Temari was Vice President. But Temari transferred schools so everyone thought it was a good idea that you became the VP."

Sakura smiled as she remembered that very well. Ino was one of the people who had nominated for Sakura despite facing opposition from other students who wanted Hinata as VP. They all thought that the Sasuke and Hinata looked good together and much more perfect ending up as President and VP at the pinnacle of their high school career. But Sakura won and she became VP.

"Then there was college. When all the Hyuga, Uchiha and Sarutobis had traditionally furthered their studies overseas, I had thought that summer was the last I would be see of Sasuke, but instead he entered Konoha Innovative College and I thought it wouldn't hurt to think about him as more than friends."

Ino nodded. She was classmates with Sasuke at their college for a psychology class. She did find Sasuke sexy for being very well read and knowledgeable and also very good looking on the surface. Thought he did have days where he looked paler than usual and sporting eye bags but still better looking than the most guys.

Ino squeezed Sakura's shoulders and only said, "It wasn't a crime to admire someone secretly. I did spend a few years crushing on Shikamaru until Temari moved away, and then he decided to chase after her instead."

"Poor you, but then you met Sai," Sakura reasoned. At least someone had her happy ending Sakura thought. _What about me?_ Sakura wailed inside.

Sakura then looked away and frowned. Ino let her best friend wander into her thoughts some more.

"I never realized that I would be this crushed, it feels like I failed high school or something."

Sakura said.

"You should be glad that it happened now, I was crushed too when Shikamaru who I had known all my life told me that he did not see me that way. He saw me only as a sister." Ino replied. "Hahaha, I was so stupid in expecting him to have the same feelings as mine. Maybe I was too consumed by the gossips running around school that kept thinking of us as a couple even when Chouji was there all along. Thankfully Shikamaru never let act weird and though it was awkward at first, but we managed to stick through thick and thin."

Sakura stared at Ino, a thought boiling inside her, "Should I confess?"

Ino was taken aback by Sakura's question, but she had half expected that Sakura would be that desperate.

"Tell me what seems to be the problem here, before I go on cheering you to confess your heart to him," Ino said. She took back her words about letting Sakura needing to think on her own. The frown currently occupying Sakura's face told Ino further that this girl was really serious when it came to Sasuke.

"This morning Sasuke hired me to launch a campaign to find someone he can work with, someone who understands him, and also someone he must at least like for the first few weeks."

Ino sighed, "and?"

"He wants to make that person his wife. Can you believe that?" Sakura said. Her eyes teared again.

Ino sighed, so this was indeed very crushing. The blonde let go of her friend and frowned,"He really is as blind as you said Sakura-chan. So what are you going to do about this?"

"I called Itachi afterwards since I have two more campaigns to handle. But he told me that I could pass my present accounts over to him so he could delegate them to the other campaigners."

"Hmmm, so Itachi knew what's going on. Don't you want to ask him about this, wait he's your boss, that would be out of bounds."

Sakura sighed for the umpteenth time, "I thought about leaving Uchiha Works over this, but I love working there and I am not ready to change jobs yet."

Ino pondered, in this economy leaving a full time well paid job without any safety net was risky. She knew Sakura had thought about working for Shikamaru but Sakura didn't entertain the thought further because she wasn't that close to Temari, who was Shikamaru's fiancee.

"Maybe I am in charge of this campaign for a reason, who knows Sasuke might see me in a different light. I get to meet him constantly compared to now." Sakura said in a meek voice.

Ino's alarms were raised, she couldn't believe her ears. Was Sakura duping herself into thinking that she might actually have another chance here?

Ino warned her friend, "Don't you think you are setting yourself for stiff competition instead babe? I could imagine the kind of girls who will be lining up to audition in whatever this campaign would take form."

"Yeah, I realize that. But if Sasuke is as blind as he is, maybe there would be light at the end of the tunnel. There's a possibility that if he sees me often enough he would see me in a different light. I'll think of this as my final resort to get his attention before I confess to him."

"Sakura-chan, you're so brave and idiotic. This might be an idiotic thing to do and there's still the chance that he might reject you but… what if he rejects you? Don't tell me you will move away or hide in embarrassment"

Sakura pouted and frowned even more, Ino took Sakura's hands in hers and said, "Promise you won't disappear on me if he rejects you? I don't know what to say to your parents if you do that."

Ino's throat was parched from stressing over her friend, she let go of Sakura's hands and went to the fridge for some drinks. She poured chilled orange juice in two glasses and handed one to Sakura. Sakura took it gratefully, finishing it in a few gulps.

"I know that you are not emotionally fragile, but then again I never saw you being rejected before. All I wanted was you to be happy."

"Me too," Sakura quickly agreed. She got up and stretched her hands out from tightness she had felt at the end of a working day. "I want him to appreciate me, but then again who am I to force something like this on him."

"You deserved someone else, I am not sure who, but I know it's not Sasuke," Ino said finishing her drink.

"Now you finally tell me what you think na, Ino-chan. I have thought about that too, but you know me. I am too fond of Sasuke to suddenly not like him anymore. He's all I ever wanted."

Ino sighed and nodded, she knew it was useless to keep talking about an unrecruited love. However Sakura was right, there might a slight chance that Sasuke might like Sakura in any way if she tries this. Ino felt like facepalming herself for thinking so positively like this.

"I could only tell you good luck and to hold your head high no matter what happen."

Sakura moved to the kitchen to place her glass into the sink and went back to the living room. She then realized that she was needed to freshen up and think things over on her own. So she moved towards Ino and placed a hand on Ino's shoulder.

"Thanks for the talk, I'll keep you up to date about idiot me and idiot Sasuke."

Ino nodded and replied, "Don't look down upon yourself, it's human to love and be loved."

"Such wise words, stupid wise words." Sakura said as she tapped Ino's shoulder a few times and headed to her room.

Being left alone in the living room Into recounted her own experience. She was much younger in age when Shikamaru rejected her but the rejection had healed over time. So Ino knew that Sakura would come out of it surely hurt but stronger and more affront about her feelings.

Ten years ago when Sakura had told her that she liked Sasuke, Ino was furious because she had liked the same boy too. Sasuke was liked by almost everyone at school so it was a no brainer. When Sakura became VP of their student body, Sakura was beaming like the solar eclipse and Ino still thought that it was a schoolgirl crush.

Later when they met at a summer party in their local park Ino had thought that Sakura would move on from admiring Sasuke as they said their goodbyes. Ino met a hair mate in Konoha Innovative College named Deidara and they became best buds. Along with Deidara there were Tobi and Sasori and both had showed interest in Sakura but she only saw them as friends. Then during their first year entering the second semester, Sasuke came back to Konoha and enrolled in their college. In a few weeks Sakura was back to liking Sasuke from afar. Then he continued his degrees overseas before returning to Konoha for work.

Ino had seen Sakura being stagnant and being comforted by Sasuke's present along the years. There were several times Sakura had been scouted by Mayor Tsunade to apply to study for a Masters Degree, but working at Uchiha Works was enough for Sakura. Mayor Tsunade was fond of Sakura and it helped that Sakura had graduated with great grades from Leaf Uni.

Ino knew she was thinking selfish thoughts when it came to Sakura's future, but she can't help feeling like a mother hen. Sasuke and Shikamaru were same different. Both were apathetic of their surroundings but Shikamaru was observant and had treated Ino with respect. She hoped Sasuke would treat Sakura with respect when the time came too. But rejection was something Sakura never faced upfront therefore there was a possibility that she would react differently when facing the real thing.

Ino walked to the sink to place her own glass in there and began washing hers and Sakura's glass. She would have to see how this mad campaign of Sasuke going to be played out. She placed the glasses back on its rack and headed to her room next to Sakura's.

* * *

Naruko looked at the sky, so warm and bright. Shion would say that the sky and sun were much like Naruko, yellow hair and blue eyes. Shion once joked that maybe Naruko would one day meet someone who would be the complete opposite of her, dark eyes and dark haired, like the moon and the midnight sky.

Naruko just rolled her eyes at that, it was ridiculous to make an assumption like that based on physical attributes alone. She wanted someone whose heart spoke to her. Looks won't last but what's in the heart would.

Shion had always wanted Naruko to want someone, to have someone. When Shion first saw Kiba at her office, sending a package of cake his mother had made for her, she naturally thought it was some secret boyfriend Naruko had from long ago.

"He is my best friend, we got close in school and I never thought of him like that. Besides he had the longest schoolboy crush on a fellow schoolmate named Hinata." Naruko had to explain after her friend's excited squeal following Kiba's departure. _  
_  
"You mean one of those rich Hyuga?" Shion asked.

"Yeah." Naruko had said.

Shion had seen Hinata in some business magazine her mother had bought. Hinata was very young when she had appeared in it, sitting on her father's lap. The article was about the family life of the businessman of the month or something like it. Hinata was pretty so Shion decided that Kiba was surely only into Naruko as a friend.

* * *

"So still no one anywhere?" Shion's mother had asked Shion one day. Naruko had overheard the two talking quietly in the kitchen. Naruko had gone to the toilet and they had talked behind her.

"What about Sora," her mother had asked Shion.

"That's someone she rejected right away, Sora was just too … how do say it, not really her type?" Shion whispered.

Naruko decided to interrupt them, "He's too full of himself. He likes to talk about himself all along never asked me what I wanted or what I didn't like. I don't want someone like him. He's too narcissistic. I mean I have longer hair than him, but his beauty products shopping list is a mile long, and his hair is shorter than mine."

Shion's mother and Shion was astounded, they didn't realize that Naruko heard them.

"So? No second date," both woman asked her.

"Definitely no. I wouldn't even call that a date. It's more like him showing off his money. I don't need someone like that. I don't like bean sprouts but he ordered me a food salad with those vege sitting happily around it. Never asked me whether I wanted fish, meat or chicken and ordered some duck meat for me."

Shion sighed. Naruko sat down on her chair and continued with her chore, they were cataloguing the types of cake Shion's mother was selling into a list and then choosing the pictures to turn into a catalogue. It would ease their face to face marketing efforts.

Sora was the owner of a bakery which Shion's mother had placed her products for sale. He had appeared to be single and had agreed to meet Naruko for a date. Just a friendly night out, the older woman had said. Naruko had gone along because she thought Sora sounded ok.

"Maybe he just wanted to impress you," Shion said.

"Maybe, but I don't want to meet him anymore."

In actuality Naruko didn't want to spill the bean that after all the awkward meal and such Sora had apologized to her. He was sorry that he was being all over the top. He was about to continue being just that until he noticed that she was uncomfortable being ith him. Something must have banged on his consciousness when he confessed.

 _"I am sorry. I just didn't want you to like me. I actually like you very much, but as a friend. I already have someone I would like to date, but Shion's mother was pushing me to meet you. I didn't know how to say no."_

 _Sora stood outside Shion's home looking at Naruko guiltily. Instead of getting angry Naruko instead smiled and said._

 _"Don't worry, I am no longer angry listening to your explanation. Don't hide like this anymore. Who is this girl anyway?" Naruko asked._

 _"She's older than me but I liked her alot."_  
 _  
"If you like, we can meet again and we could talk about her." Naruko said. She didn't know how that would help but she was sure that Sora was actually nice beneath the over the top nervous man she had met earlier._

 _"That's nice of you."_

 _"I know, so are we friends?"_

 _"Gladly."_

 _..._ _..._

In a way, Naruko had lied about Sora. But she needed to do that or Shion and her mother would continue to push Sora at her again and again.

Naruko then looked at the new paper Shion had placed on the table. Underneath the main news an advertisement promising great benefits and salary for a position at Uchiha Works. It's only for a few weeks and on a very flexible working arrangement.

"Hey Shion, have you seen this?" she asked her friend.

"Yeah, I thought it was so sudden. Since when do Uchiha Works do call outs for girls only audition? They usually do a talent contest but they already did early this year."

Naruko looked at the contact number and the email. "I am thinking of dropping my resume here." She said pointing to the ad.

"You go on, I am thinking of setting up other vendor option for mom. After doing this I wonder why I never help mom do her business before this. This is easier than anything else I have done."

Naruko nodded at her friend. She then continued to read the Uchiha Works ad and wondered what the call out was searching for. Beneath the very large and pretty looking font were the criteria.

 _Ladies only, 20-30 years of age, have work experience, minimum college educated, able to work in a team, could tolerate all kinds of people, motivated and ready for a transfer._

It sounded interesting. Naruko was sure of trying for this no matter what they have said about Uchiha Works.


	12. Chapter 12 - Stunned

**_Events happening before monster attack_**

 **12**

 _CALLING FOR GIRLS_

 _Ladies only, 20-30 years of age, have work experience, minimum college educated, able to work in a team, could tolerate all kinds of people, motivated and ready for a transfer._

Sasuke glanced for the eighteenth time at the criteria he had told Sakura to list out in the ad. The words now looked enticing in a funky font the graphic designer had picked out to convey the flirty nature of the ad.

There were silhouettes of girls in skirts and pants, framing the text which was gathered in the center of the rectangle ad.

"What if men in skirts come to the audition?" Shisui asked. The wavy haired Uchiha was making himself comfortable on the sofa behind Sasuke. He had been making remarks now and then about the personal project Sasuke was doing.

Earlier an hour ago, Shisui was doing rounds in the block where the graphics department was housed. He was entering a corridor when he saw the spiky ends of Sasuke's signature hairstyle disappearing into a door. He made it a point to stop and harass his cousin after realizing that Sasuke's personal project involved girls, two of his favourite things in the world - harassing his cousin and girls.

Sasuke sighed at his interrupting cousin, wondering why Shisui was still working for them as security. His mother had told him that Shisui was just a temporary measure before the acquire would mean installation of high end electronic security in some aspects which would reduce labour hour. Sasuke wasn't sure what that meant but his mother had always been an efficient decision maker, so he accepted her plans as is. On the other hand, here was his cousin, head of security doing rounds after hours. Shisui was getting softer around the edges from such a laidback job too, he was better off being their publicist now that their security issues for the next few years had been addressed. Of course Sasuke didn't say all that since he was busy with his little project.

Sasuke only moved his eyeballs at his cousin, didn't want to answer his cousin's question right away. He instead continued to point out a few elements he wanted the designer to adjust for the Internet ad. He had ordered out the print ad first before releasing the Internet ad, meant primarily for social media. He wanted to see how many people actually read papers these days.

After he was satisfied with the graphic arrangements he glanced to Shisui. "I don't really care. I want someone in skirts, someone not wearing a pants, someone who would baby me and also be able to argue with me."

"Woah. That sounds like my kind of girl except the skirt part. Hey I met the new security advisor the other day, Miss Sonic and her robot guy. Unfortunately didn't manage to get her last name but I bet she's the type who don't wear skirts despite maybe fulfilling your list. The second time I saw her around, she was wearing a black jumpsuit which covered her whole body complete with fancy armour plates. Surely not the skirt type. But, hey you're searching for an employee and not a girlfriend."

Sasuke ignored his cousin but his eyes twitched at Shisui's comment. He resumed asking the graphic designer to send the ads to Sakura.

"What's this about, I didn't hear Mikoto announcing anything like this. This is gonna be huge, why isn't security informed?" Shisui asked as he crossed his legs.

Shisui saw Sasuke frowning like he's really thinking hard and stressed out. He felt like flicking his cousin's forehead like Itachi would do, but he didn't want to disturb his cousin physically so he remarked, "You people work in the creative department but all I see are tired stressed people, chill out."

"Shut up Shi, I'll explain after this."

"Whatever," He didn't regret at all, his decision to take a detour from work to nag the younger Uchiha. This was better than watching the cctv he thought.

Shisui waited for Sasuke to respond. In ten minutes Sasuke turned, pulled him up by the shirt on his shoulder and walked out of the graphics room. Shisui grinned being manhandled like that. It's not everyday that he ruffled his cousin's feather. The younger Uchiha pushed Shisui into a corner in the corridor outside and let go of Shisui's shirt.

"So?" Shisui asked too brightly.

Sasuke frowned at him before looking away. Then all the frowns gone from his face as he paused and then gradually smirked. "I'm getting myself a wife."

"Wait, so the call out was for this?"

"Yes."

"So you are misusing all Uchiha resources just to find yourself a wife? Always using the long route. Ma would have called out all the best of Konoha girls in a few minutes and they would be lining up at the manor that weekend." Shisui addressed his aunt as Ma, though in front of others he'd call her madam too.

"I don't want it to be like that," Sasuke said still looking away. He wasn't keeping the motive a secret because he knew it would leak out sooner or later. Better that his fangirls knew that his wife searching, maybe the incessant stalking might stop for awhile.

"Why?"

"I want someone who doesn't know me. But she would be able to work with me."

"Like who?"

"I need someone adaptive, physical beauty is secondary, I need someone who is on par with me intellectually, someone who wasn't scared to be furious with me should I get out of line."

"Itachi know?"

"He's the one who made me realize that I need someone in my life apart from... family."

"Isn't there someone you like already, out there, somewhere?"

Sasuke turned and looked at Shisui, "None that I wanted."

Shisui laughed hysterically at Sasuke. He was sarcastic like that, but Sasuke knew Shisui's quirk. "This sounds absurd man, but best of luck. We're Uchiha after all. Absurdity is in our veins."

Sasuke let Shisui babbled on about girls and marriages before he heard the unmistakable steps of another Uchiha he would have to face.

"You better get back to work, Ma's coming over here," he said.

Shisui turned around and to his joy saw Mikoto Uchiha approaching them with a frown on her face. Mikoto Uchiha was one of the rare Uchiha who was always smiling, so seeing her frown was rare. Shisui admitted that it was might be something sinister behind it. I better run, Shisui told himself.

"Sasuke, what is this?" She asked Sasuke while unfolding a roll of newspaper with his ad emblazoned on it.

"A personal campaign." Sasuke said matter of fact.

"When did you present this project to me? All my friends have been asking me about this saying it sounds highly suspicious. Please tell me the actual purpose behind it. And Shisui you're staying."

Shisui who had been inching away from them pouted and walked back towards his aunt. He was planning to escape her interrogation.

Sasuke hunched and didn't move. He was way taller than her mom but at this instance they were the same height as Mikoto wore her seven inched heels. He looked away. She placed her hands on both sides of Sasuke's shoulders.

"I won't get angry," she said.

"I'm getting a wife Mother," he met her eyes.

"..." Mikoto was stunned.

30

29

28

27

26

25

24

23

22

21

20

"Mother?" Sasuke asked.

19

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

Seconds passed and Mikoto was still stunned. Sasuke took his mother's hands and clasped it in his. "Mother?"

Shisui inched closer until he was directly beside Sasuke facing. They both faced Mikoto stunned to see the chief of Uchiha Works petrified.

"Ma, are you ok?" Shisui waved his hand across Mikoto's eyes.

"Mom, Uchiha Works shares fell down by 30 percent," Sasuke lied through his teeth.

Mikoto's eyes maintained its surprised state but she blinked once.

"Ma, I am getting married too," Shisui said.

That got Mikoto blinking again, once, twice and then her eyes blinked rapidly as she slowly turned to Shisui.

"Don't lie Shisui, you love girls too much to settle down now." She then frowned and lunged at Sasuke. To Sasuke's surprise she began to sob.

"Why are you leaving me now, baby boy."

"Mother," Sasuke said gritting his teeth at the nickname. "You asked me to leave the house and now you accuse me of leaving you."

Mikoto let go of her son and wiped her tears away.

"I told to leave the house because you were becoming a hermit, which isn't good at all for your well being. My friends have been asking where you were at functions and I thought kicking you out of the house would do you good." She sighed and bit her lips. She knew if she mentioned Itachi, who left home at age 19 to leave at campus though Konoha University was only half an hour ride away, Sasuke would surely distance himself further.

"This is different, you are making decisions by yourself now. I am sad but baby, I am proud. I don't which one shocked me the most, you finding a wife, or making decisions by yourself. I could still remember the days when you would wear whatever I asked you to. But then you grew up and your decisions were always yes or no, or just nothing. I never dreamed of you making such serious decisions at your age."

"Mother, I am already twenty something, I am old."

"Not to me, you will always be my baby boy," Mikoto mussed his son's hair while Shisui smiled at them both.

"Now aunt, I need to clock out, the next round is up," Shisui said.

"Wait, now after you finish your month notice I want to hire you as Sasuke's publicist. Assist him with his wife call out thing," Mikoto mussed her nephew's hair.

"Ah, but... " Shisui was actually looking forward to a long holiday after he turned in his notice. But since this call out will involve a lot of girls, he decided that this new job would be better than a vacation.

"We will discuss the details tomorrow, now clock out." The big lady boss said.

"Yes madam," Shisui said.

Mikoto turned to Sasuke as Shisui left them with a skip in his step. "Now, who's doing this with you?"

"Sakura. I haven't formed a team yet."

"Well, come to my office tomorrow with her for a meeting. Since you are using my resources, we will do this properly like one of our actual project."

"Hmm. Yes mother," Sasuke said deflated. He was expecting his mother to let him sail his own ship.

"Hey what's with that face. I won't be monitoring this project all the time, I trust you. That, despite you always ignoring my orders when it comes to work." Something sparkled in her eyes.

Sasuke saw it and he shuddered, his mother was a clever woman therefore he was sure she wouldn't let him go just like that just yet.

"Let's say you finally found a girl, and she is your wife material, I won't say anything about your decision, but…"

Sasuke's body lurched away from her mother. He knew his mother would come up with something, in return for using her 'resources'. He sighed, he should have used his own money or something before he jumped head first into this.

"You will need to be a better person for your wife, no more moping around like life has no challenges for you, be more social, be more outgoing - of course according to your own pace. I am going to one day leave this company in your and Itachi's hands so for starters, right after you finish this project I am hiring you as the Head of New Media Communications."

Sasuke saw it coming, the inevitable will come. Then Mikoto smiled and hugged her son tightly. He listened on to his mother's heartbeat, the beat which he must have heard since he was in his mother's womb. She kissed his forehead.

"Yes mother," his heart became warm. He really was needing a change in his life. So this change would involve his mother too.

"Now," Mikoto let go of his soon. "Tomorrow at 9.00 am my office. Bring Sakura, don't forget," she said and she walked away.

She left him alone in the corridor. Sasuke looked at the newspaper which he must have grabbed while his mother was petrified. He hoped that everything will go well. He was hoping that he would find the one.

* * *

Naruko emailed her resume though she mentioned that she was still at the end of her schooling year instead of actually having a college education. She had emailed earlier to ask about that and Uchiha Works had responded that they would reconsider her resume since she had years of working experience. They were casting their net wide then, Naruko thought.

In two weeks she received the confirmation that she was accepted. She would have to attend an audition at Grand Leaf, which was a hotel slash restaurant in the middle of town.

"What should you wear?" Shion had asked her.

"The reply email told me to wear something proper but attractive enough. So jeans and shirt is too plain, that means a pencil skirt and shirt maybe since it's like a job interview?" she said.

Shion was the more fashionable between the two, though they also swap clothes when they wanted variety. Only that Shion liked wearing high heels more than Shion.

"Why don't you wear dresses? That's attractive. I have never see you wear dresses, and I think you might look cute in it."

"Is cute attractive? Why is this call out asking for attractive people? This sounds like a work which involves service or something like a front desk officer. That's boring."

"So you wanna go or not?" Shion said.

"I never said I am ditching this event, just that it's too…."

"Just try it out, it never said the prettier you are the bigger chance you will get picked out anyway."

Naruko thought about Shion's words. She shouldn't have sent her email in the first place if she was really bothered by the Call Out's requirements. But her instincts told her to send an email and that was the thing which prompted her.

"Ok, if you say so."

"So when's the audition?"

"It's going to be in Grand Leaf, on Saturday. They said all the auditions after this would be done on weekends. I hope we don't have weekend classes when the new year arrives."

"So, what will you be wearing?"

"Do you have a yellow dress?"

"A nice choice. When's the audition exactly?"

"It's from 9 to 12 pm."

"Ah, I have to send my mother's cookies to Suna that day. I'm sorry but I would have to miss your audition."

"Never mind, there will be like 6-8 levels afterwards."

"You'll get through."

"You think so?" Naruko asked her bff.

"Yeah, you're resilient and it's your luck that they are taking college students too."

"Maybe."

"So, what are you going to do for the audition?"

"There's an interview, a challenge and a presentation."

"So you have a week to think of a presentation. What is the topic?"

"My Family, My Future Plan or Modern Working Mother.

"Why are all the presentation title sounding like it's personal."

"I am not sure."

"Isn't call outs for girls are usually about making the world a better place, much like World Peace is to Miss World."

"You ask a lot of questions Shion, but you haven't answered my question yet."

"What was that?"

"Do you have a yellow dress?"

"Hmmm, nope. But we can shop for one!"

"Great, like right now?"

"Yeah, now."


	13. Chapter 13 - Audition

_Events happening before monster attack_

 **13**

Naruko arrived almost two minutes before 8.30 am and the line at the registration counter was already longer than the line at the bank on salary day. She quickly made way to the end of the line and stood behind a woman wearing a little black dress. As she came to stand behind the woman, the line moved slightly forward. Naruko stepped up with the line as she peered at the women queuing before her. There was no specific looking women among them. There were tall women and short women, some with long hair, some with a crew cut, seemed like physically the demand was varied. There were blondes, redheads, brunettes, pinkettes, purples and blue haired women.

Naruko straightened her dress which was slightly crumpled as she made a dash from her house to the bus stand to get to the Grand Leaf. There were plenty of people at the bus stop and Naruko had decided to take a taxi so she could arrive earlier to fight the morning crowd. She thought that maybe arriving early would help ease her nervousness to face the audition session.

As the queue began to move a little faster forward, Naruko glanced at the file she had brought along. She had brought her resume, a full sized picture of herself and a few 4R sized picture. There was no details about what to bring or how to prepare herself, so Naruko had googled for information regarding Uchiha Works for the past few days as preparation. The least she should know was who were the CEO and big names behind Uchiha Works, their main business and their local products. The who what why where when and how, of Uchiha Works.

"Attention ladies, those with surnames starting with N to Z please move to the counter we opened at the other side of the stage. We have set another counter to ease registration. Please proceed according to your name. Thank you."

Naruko quickly followed the movements of a few participants who were quick on their feet to follow the new instruction. She found herself walking across a stage adorned with a lot of purple and silver balloons. There was something written on the background of the stage but she did not care to read it now, what was more important was to queue first and not be left behind. When she reached the other side she saw a woman in pink hair wearing a grey skirt and white shirt with one hand on her hip. She was standing next to a table with a sign reading 'Registration Booth 2'. Naruko guessed that this must be the second counter which the announcer had mentioned just now.

A handful of women began queuing up beside a velvet rope barrier and Naruko was quick to stand behind the last one. Naruko was relieved to see that she was participant number ten which meant that she did not have to stand for long. Everyone was smiling nervously while a woman who stood behind Naruko was laughing in between panting, maybe from running from the other side of the floor to the other side.

"My name's Yugito Nii, what's your name?" the blonde haired woman spoke as she offered her hand to Naruko.

Naruko smiled and took it, "Naruko Uzumaki. Pleased to meet you."

"So we are the shortlisted ones, where do you work now?"

"I am not working, I am student at KU."

"I am doing my research here, but I am attending Iwa Uni for my masters."

Naruko slightly nodded to acknowledge the information, so the shortlisted women were varied in education too.

Yugito Nii was wearing a dark coloured long skirt and a crisp white shirt. She handed a business card to Naruko and said, "If you need a photographer or need to print anything, come to my shop. We offer printing services with a special discount for bulk orders."

"I'll keep this for future needs," Naruko said. She read the name of the company on the card to Yugito as simple courtesy. "Kumo Printing and Photography." Naruko frowned as she knew that Kumo was a town two hours from Konoha.

"Are you local?" Yugito asked as Naruto slipped the card into her bag.

"I consider myself local since I attend primary and secondary school here. I also worked here before I studied."

"So, you have working experience. Where do you work?"

"With Sarutobi Toys as a photographer," Naruko said.

"Oh, so you are a photographer," Yugito said dramatically.

"I was not a professional photographer, just attending a few workshops at Konoha Poly."

"Ah, I see. Would you like to come work with me if you don't make this audition, not that I am hoping you would fail this, I mean it is rare to meet a fellow female photographer."

"I have to decline, I still have a few years of studying and internship. I am not looking forward to working full time."

"Oh, that's ok. If you are not searching for work, then why are you here?" Yugito asked.

"I e-mailed the organizer and they said, the activity will only be done during weekends and since none of my class are held during weekends, so it's ok to join."

Naruko wondered how old Yugito Nii was. Then she got her answer, as if Yugito knew what was on her mind.

"I think I must be one of the oldest participant here, I am going to be 31 this July and I am just here for the experience."

"So, you are just here for fun?" Naruko asked as she walked to the front according to the movement of the person in front.

"Not really, I am not sure what I would do if I was picked but I thought I'd go along the process if I make it to the next level. I have never attend anything like this, more like don't have the time."

Naruko was soon only one person away from the counter. The pink haired woman she saw earlier was now sitting down on a chair frowning at her phone. Naruko approached the table acting as counter as soon as the person before her left.

"May I have your ID?" the woman who was handling registration asked.

"Sure," Naruko said while handing her ID which she had been holding in her palm since she began queuing.

The woman took Naruko's ID and card using a portable machine which could read the identity card. She looked up to turn to Naruko and smiled.

She handed Naruko a plastic file and said, "There will be two stages today. Please fill the forms inside this folder, you can use the seats in front of the stage to sit down. First stage is an online quiz to assess where your general knowledge lies, read the flyer inside and download the quiz apps. Your phone will be unlocked for other application while you answer the quiz. A precaution for anyone wanting the easy way. You have an hour, and the earlier you finish the quiz, the faster you can reach the second stage. The second stage is an interview and photoshoot, inside the hall at the back of the stage. If you can't find it ask any of our purple dressed reps. And here are your coupons for breakfast and lunch, you can get the food from any of the outlet in the food court. Good luck."

"Thank you," Naruko told the woman.

Then she noticed that the pink haired woman had her fingers tapping on her phone but her eyes was locked on Naruko intently. Instead of acting offended by the unwanted attention, Naruko smiled at her. The pink haired woman did not smile back but frowned slightly before returning to look at her phone. Naruko stopped herself from showing confusion over the woman's negative reaction and decided to mind her own business. She headed to the chairs to sit down.

In the files were a few pamphlets about Uchiha Works current products and services. There were three forms for her to fill up with her details and also a brochure on how to install the quiz app. Naruko read the brochure briefly before taking out her phone and opening up the Application Store to download the compatible version.

"UCHIHA GIRL?" she read the app before pushing on the Download button.

The application took less than fifteen seconds to install and Naruko looked at the first page addressing her.

 _"Hello, are you confident that you are the Uchiha Girl?  
Please enter your full name and assigned number on the form before starting on the quiz."_

Naruko took out the form once more and saw that the form was numbered, she tapped the number into the app and filled in her name and her age before pushing the Enter button.

The app paused for a second before showing off an online quiz. The first question was, _"What are the five pillars of nation building in Konoha?"_

Naruko typed in her answer in the box below, _"Unity regardless of race and belief, B_ _elief in the democratic society, Loyalty to the leader and country, Rule of law, Good behaviour and morality."_

The second question was, _"When was Konoha established?"_

Naruko typed in _"1631"._ She was not really sure about the year but she knew Konoha was almost 400 years old.

Third question was, _"Where is the Field Of Hero located?"_

Naruko had been there plenty of times, " _In West Village_." The Field Of Hero was a memorial to honour the dead individuals who shaped Konoha. They included past figureheads of Konoha, he long dead ninja leaders called the Hokage and now the present day mayors. _  
_

The next ten questions were about a little history on Konoha. And then there were questions touching on popular knowledge. Luckily they were all objective question so each answer had a twenty five percent rate of being right unlike the early questions which she had to write down the answers.

 _Who won the most awards at the Grammy Awards in 2016?  
Konoha Mayor lined out the National Plan For Youth in 2015, what were some of them?  
Agrotourism is one of Konoha's main business, which of these agricultural activities are available in Konoha?_

 _Which Konoha skater made it to the preliminary round of the Winter Olympics?_

Naruko sighed, this sure was tougher unlike what the woman at registration had said. There were forty five questions in all and she continued to answer until her stomach grumbled. Suddenly a pop out window appeared on the apps.

" _You have another forty minutes to do the quiz, you can do it!"_

Naruko continued with the next question and answered quickly on her whim. She hoped that she had a better chance at the interview since she could barely be confident with the quiz.

* * *

Naruko had headed straight to lunch just as she finished answering the quiz. She chose a sushi bar for she could eat anything she wanted today, without using her own money. The Sushi Queen was an awesome sushi bar, and Naruko promised to come later with Shion for another eating session.

She had answered all 45 questions just within the hour allocated, but whether she got high score, Naruko was not sure at all. The questions were rather easy if you were the kind to always browse the news and scan your social media, but Naruko barely had an active online presence, and she had long ditched the television in favour of watching anime DVD and a whole tonne of online drama. She only caught up with the elections, sports or sometimes entertainment when Shion shared something with her.

She walked to the room at the back of the stage with her phone in her grasp. There was a kind of room behind the stage, which had its entrance covered by a thick black curtain. Just as she was thinking about entering the curtain, pausing questioningly whether to enter or not, she saw Yugito Nii walking past her and waving at her.

"So, you have answered all of the questions? Let's get in now," Yugito said as she waved at Naruko.

Naruko wasted no time to follow Yugito and they both entered the room. A dark haired woman stopped them both at the entrance.

"Hi, please read me your quiz registration number, the one which was stated on your form and then drop your forms in the in tray on the first table."

Yugito Nii was standing first in line and she gave her number "N-5."

"Thank you, now please proceed to the first glass box and sit with the person in the red warrior half mask."

"Thank You," Yugito Nii said and did as she was requested.

"Your number please," the dark haired woman asked Naruko.

"U-1," Naruko said as she peered at her form in her bag.

"Ok, please proceed to drop your forms there and then enter the glass room with the person in the black and purple half mask of Amaterasu."

"Thanks miss," Naruko said and proceeded to the table in front. She opened her bag and took out the folder and picked out the forms. She looked for the last time at the form and dropped them into the In tray. There weren't huge piles of forms on the table and Naruko thought that maybe they had cleared the previous participants forms so they won't clutter.

Naruko repeated the words of the dark haired woman and then walked towards a few glass boxes which had been set up next to each other. Yugito Nii had already entered the first glass box. Naruko saw the Amaterasu mask and entered the glass box next to the one Yugito had entered.

She held onto the knob and twisted it open. Naruko was confused as to why the interviewers needed to wear a mask. The person in front of her was wearing a black robe with red finishes on the sleeves and the neck lining. Naruko turned slightly around to close the door and moved towards the seat which was empty.

"Please sit down," a male voice said.

"Hi, thanks. How do I address you?"

"Mr Uchiha is enough. We are all part of Uchiha Works, so we are Uchiha for the day. So how was your day?" the man said, he moved slightly to address her.

"Pleasant, I came here with a taxi, usually I would get a bus but I did not want to be late." Naruko was blabbing, she was =very nervous. This masked figure was adding more stress to her than she needed.

"That was good, you believe in the concept of honouring people's time. So tell me about yourself."

"My name is Naruko Uzumaki, I am …" she eyed the glass box before continuing. "I am 26 years old and currently studying at Konoha University.

"So you continued studying from after school?"

The man had a voice which Naruko found pleasant and she was eased little by little. He sounded like he was genuinely interested to know her though he had not offered her hand or anything.

She answered him, "No, I worked for several years and this opportunity for studying came from the mayor. I had to go against a few people to get this studying scholarship."

"So what do you hope from entering this audition?"

Naruko decoded to be frank with him, "I wanted a better opportunity in life. I am not getting any younger therefore i would like to work with one of Konoha's best company for as long as i am permitted. I have prior experience in photography and I can draw decently."

"That's great, you can speak quite gracefully, have you ever worked as an emcee before this?"

"No, but since I have to communicate with a lot of people during photoshoots at my old company, so I learned to speak to all kinds of people."

"So, what do you think about love?"

"What kind of love?" he asked.

The person behind the mask tilted his ahead aside and then turned to look at the person in the red mask warrior. The other person somehow turned too and waved at the dark haired man. The man waved at the other person and looked back to Naruko.

"How far would you go to save a person if you loved him, like if he was a prisoner."

Naruko frowned, "That is a tough question to answer, but I think I would wait for this person as long as he needed. But let's say if I ever met someone down the year and my love permitted me to leave him, I wouldn't know what to do at all too… I may not leave at all, maybe I'll break in and ask him to leave with me, but that will mean that we are being fugitives in the run..."

Maybe seeing Naruko having a problem to answer the question, he said, "Well relax, that was a surprise question. I am quite sadistic when it comes to interviews, here's an actual question from this audition, are you ready?"

Naruko visibly tensed but then smiled at the man. "I came here prepared for a battle, I'll answer your question."

"Hmm, what preparation do you do to emcee an event?"

"I'll…"

From the back of the man's mask a single ponytail flowed into the back of the robe he was wearing. The man had decided to ask all his interviewees to wear a mask today just for the fun of it and decided to wear his brother's favourite folklore's mask today.

Itachi Uchiha took it upon himself to join Sasuke's bridal search party, Sasuke had groaned but he relented after Mikoto told him to let his brother see the candidates himself.

This is an intriguing candidate, maybe i should send her to the next stage, Itachi said as Naruko answered his question.


	14. Chapter 14 - Shaken

**Chapter 14**

Not a week had passed before Naruko was called to the Uchiha Works office for a briefing about the results of the audition. She wore her usual clothes, orange t shirt with blue jeans and a grey hoodie to combat the weather elements. But she chose to wore sneakers instead of flip flops or her flat shoes she had worn to the audition.

When Naruko arrived at the studio, she saw that there were a long line of girls at the security counter which was moving along. She thought that they might be there for security clearance seeing that the studio was not accessible to the public like a shopping center might be. The email had not notified her to bring any documentation so Naruko had plainly brought her wallet, a notebook and a pen just in case. Being a student had made her diligent about carrying a notebook and a pen whenever she remembered it.

Naruko queued at the security entrance and left her driver's license for a security pass and left her details on a form. She followed the early comers heading towards a large gray building with plain white architecture. For a creative production company the buildings were boring and almost looked like factories. She wondered if the buildings were factories previously.

Naruko looked at the sky above, it was a few days of grey skies and cold win but it had not rained at all today. Some girls had brought along umbrella and some had hats with them. Naruko wondered which girls drove to the studio and which girls took public transportation. She figured that the prim and styled ones must have driven here, or were chauffeured while the ones dressed like her in jeans and flat shoes might be the ones who came here by public transportation. The studio was quite far from the train station therefore she had to get here by a taxi she had booked online. Naruko was careful when it came to travelling alone to a remote place, especially when she was not familiar with the place like Uchiha Works location.

She slipped behind a couple of chatting girls and entered the hall. It was large and the ceilings were tall. Naruko wondered if they shoot movies in here like in those science fiction movies where the backdrops were either props or green screen. But there hall was empty except for some white and green walls. Naruko thought the company would be hiding their props to preserve their production secret or something.

"Good morning everyone, now please take a seat," a voice announced over a microphone.

Everyone moved forward to fill the seats, plastic foldable chairs in reds and blacks. Naruko choose a seat in the centre and three rows from the front. After a few minutes almost everyone were seated and Naruko looked at the stage before her. The stage was a simple ten by ten feet stage which was covered in blue carpet or cloth.

"Hi, my name is Shisui Uchiha, good morning everyone. Please fill the seats at the front, I won't bite you. This is just an intro session. Newcomers sit at the front," said a guy emerging onto the stage from behind.

Naruko looked at some giggling girls heading to the empty seats before her. Some were neutral faced while some were smiling confidently. She thought that she recognized one or two of them from the audition. She remembered Yugito Nii and wondered if she made it to the audition, and with that thought came a voice and a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," a voice from behind called. "She called you," the girl said pointing to a blonde woman two rows behind. Naruko twisted her body to look at the person who called her and saw the person she just thought about.

"Well, you got in. See you around!" Yugito Nii said loudly as she walked to fill empty seats on her own row.

Naruko just managed to smile at her when Shisui Uchiha spoke from the microphone. She turned to the front as Shisui announced, "We will be joining the Head of The Campaigns Department, who will brief on what the program has in store for you and then we will proceed with the mass contract signing and your induction into the programme. Until then just chill and be ready for the briefing."

Naruko did know who Itachi Uchiha was and so waited with anticipation what the man would reveal about the programme. Then some employees, Naruko knew from their T shirts emblazoned with large Uchiha Works words rolled a huge monitor on wheels to face the seated girls. They plugged in the wire and a montage was being rolled, it got snippet of Uchiha Works past project and productions.

After a few minutes Naruko noticed that the video was being played on a loop so she lost interest in it and started wondering about something else. She had foreseen lunch at the nearby Konoha East Park, where Shion had told her about a new ramen place. She wished she could brought Shion along but her best friend was suddenly taking a baking class from a friend of her mother. Naruko knew she and Shion would not be stuck together forever and with the end of their studies, SHion might likely start working somewhere else other than Sarutobi Toys. Naruko was not sure about her future either, coming back to Sarutobi Toys would be nice. But when she chose to further her studies, her mind had evolved and so had her dreams and wants. She wanted more for her future and Shion had mentioned of wanting to work with the Hyuga.

"Good morning to Itachi Uchiha, head of Campaigns who will be the patron of this programme, The Girl," Shisui announced.

The large monitor began playing a video showing a promotional clip. It started with a silhouette of a girl, interlaced with well known figures such Tsunade Senju - Konoha's mayor, Mito Senju - a well known doctor of Eye Surgery, Mikoto Uchiha, present President of Uchiha Works, Mei Terumi - a scientist who won a Nobel Prize, Chiyo Sands - Konoha's longest serving nurse and also unknown young woman who changed the facets of Konoha daily. The video ended with a logo of 'The Girl", with a question under it, "Are you her?"

"Hi and thank you to all," Itachi Uchiha spoke from above the stage. "How are you doing?"

"We're good! Fine! Never been better!" were among the answers from the all crowd.

Naruko counted five people standing behind the stage and several more around the seated area.

"The Girl, is Uchiha Works program to bring the best of Konoha into society. You will not just learn how to work for the company but for society too. The programme will run for four months long where we will teach and observe how you girls work and grow on each scheduled week. As this is a weekend programme, we hope that all of you could be free on the weekend dates we have stated. The packs which our persons are handing out will state the type of class and situations you will be involved. "

Naruko nodded and was sure that she would definitely sign the contract for this programmes. Just as she was handed a pack which Itachi had mentioned, she felt the need to pee. But Itachi was still talking so she stayed as proper as she could.

"For the ones who agreed to participate please sign the contract and for those you can leave after this brief is over. We will cover the insurance cost for the dates you will be over at our rented rest house as along as you obey the written terms and conditions. As this project promised employment with Uchiha Works, we will need confirmation that you will quit your present job should you be one of the dozen finalist chosen at the end of the programme. Of all 90 girls here, only twelve will be offered employment with Uchiha Works. If you are a full time student, you will be offered to work freelance or on project basis. The contract will really be flexible. Good luck."

"Thanks Itachi-san, now you can take your time in the remaining hour to ask our persons, in the red blazers about the contract. In forty five minutes we will conduct a tour around Uchiha Works and after that should you chose to sign the contract, please pass it back to our personnel. We have refreshments at the back."

Naruko took the opportunity to stash the contract into her bag and ran out of the hall in a few quick strides. She looked for the arrow pointing towards the restroom and noticed that she was the only one rushing over there. She just rushed inside and bumped into someone at the main entrance of the toilet and…

"Ouch!" shouted the person. "Watch where you are going!"

"Ah sorry!" Naruko shouted an apology. She did not fall down but the other person did. The person was dark haired, wearing grey pant suit and had fallen onto a wet patch on the floor. "No, you're wet!" Naruko said.

"Stupid you making me fall," the person said and looked angrily at her.

"Shit!" Naruko shrieked. "Let me get in first, I'll apologize later. She took off her grey hoodie and passed it to him wishing he would take it to wear outside his wet suit or something. Naruko left the man and went inside to relieve herself.

After her bladder was empty, Naruko looked at her reflection. She wondered whether she should just wait inside the angry person outside went away or just face the music. Deep in her thought she decided that just admitting her wrong was better than running away like a chicken. So unconfidently she slung her bag across her body and walked outside.

To her surprise the man outside was now leaning against the wall. "How could you end up as one of the finalists, I wonder," he asked.

"Your juries like me," Naruko replied back. What was his problem she did not know. Was he even in the programme. He had no right to say things to her.

"You may keep the hoodie, I'll come back later to take it," Naruko said. She stood there not knowing exactly whether to ask for more forgiveness, ask his phone number to get back the sweater or something.

"Since you spoiled my shirt, I am not going in there. You have to help me fetch my shirt from my car," he told her.

"What?"

"You heard me," he said.

"Why would I do that? You are already in your clothes and you should be able to get to your car."

"Itachi expected me to be there, but I can't enter and talk to the participants in a grey girl's hoodie. I want you to fetch my other suit in my car in the building behind the cafe."

"Where is that?"

"Just ask the security person at the guard house. He'll know where it is," the black haired man said.

Naruko felt like she should just dump the contract and went home, but this was silly and he was acting silly. But she did spoil his clothes and he must have been a guest of Itachi or something.

"Here take my pass and use it to enter the employee's car park area," he said while handing her a card.

"Ah?"

"Go now," he said.

Naruko was just about to complain about the absurdity of the situation when the ground suddenly shook. She quickly crouched to the ground as her view shook violently. The dark haired man was suddenly covering her with his body. "What the hell is that? Let's go to the open area, it can't be an earthquake, there's no sign of that."

Naruko felt herself being pulled up and forward by the wrist, and she instinctively ran along with the pull. She glanced aside and it was still the man assisting her. She looked forward and it seemed like he was pulling her towards the hills a few hundreds metres away. The ground continued to shake as the air was filled with shouts and shrieks. More people were heading there too and then Naruko felt her wrist being pulled aside abruptly, but she managed to turn around and grab his hands and they stood with hands on each others wrist paused in running. They caught up with breathing and then she saw her fellow auditionee running past her. Her thoughts back on the event she was attending.

"What about the others? The program?" Naruko asked him.

Eyes wide with concern he frowned even more. "Security will take care of it. We have to save ourselves first," the man said.

Naruko watched as security personals ran past them, true to his words the security personnel were ushering the participants towards the hills. She recognized some participants she saw earlier but couldn't see Yugito Nii amongst them.

And then a siren blared and she heard the dark haired man said, "Oh no, this is for real. Come on let's run to the shelter."


	15. Chapter 15 - Fire

15

Previously while Genos was attending an event.

The ground trembled making everyone latch tightly onto the table they were sitting on. More tremors were felt before a violent force shook the ground and suddenly everything loose on the table were thrown off. Genos immediately headed outside leaving the others. He needed to know what caused this disturbance and as a hero he needed to contain this situation.

He looked up into the sky. There just above the horizon of Konoha's forest, where the trees lined up in a harmonious row, a very familiar looking monstrosity stood looking at him. He grabbed his phone and dialled Sonic's number. He gritted his teeth and impatiently waited for his roommate to answer his call.

"Sonic get out of the house, run!" he shouted as soon as he heard Sonic's lazy before lunch voice.

"Run!"

…...

Sonic was stumbling down the stairs, as the apartment building continued to shake violently. She had walked down these stairs many times but with the debris falling and people running chaotically past her shrieking and wailing, everything became confusing. Sonic leaned against the wall knowing that whatever was causing the building to shake wasn't nearby since the building would have collapsed if the perpetrator was near. She speed dialled Genos' number but Genos didn't answer. The building shook more violently causing Sonic to lurch forward and lost her footing. She lost her grip on the phone and it landed at the bottom of the stairs.

Sonic twisted her body in time with her sudden fall and landed on a clear landing. She escaped landing on part of the landing full of broken glasses and some metal. Sonic rolled onto the hard cement and gathered herself into a sitting position. She dusted off the debris from her hoodie and searched for her fallen mobile phone. Unfortunately when she found it the phone was dented, the screen cracked and dead. Sighing, sonic just shoved it into her pocket and searched for a way out. The phone was broken but it contained all her business details, she would have to deal with it later. 

It's been a long time since Sonic had a fight with anyone or anything. The Battle of the Monsters felt like such a long time ago and Sonic did not even care to spar with Genos or anyone else for practice. She practiced alone in the woods when Genos was not around, perfecting her speed and signature wind blade kick to get her body moving. She was not sure whether she was going to fight like before, but she continued to practice fighting for self defense and also for her business. Also living in a city with a Hero Association meant that fighting skill was a need and not just some fancy skill.

Sonic stood up and held onto the walls looking out onto the grounds. People were running chaotically here and there not sure where to escape. Sonic knew if Genos was here, he would surely ask her to take care of the citizens while he faced the enemy. Sonic sighed, the blonde cyborg had been putting a lot of ideas in her head which she never cared about. Get the people out of the way, safety first! Genos would say.

Genos' mantra made Sonic sigh but she started finding her way down towards the chaotic scared people. She needed to make them move to a shelter in the forest. Her head was still thinking otherwise, face the enemy first and heck with the people but she would still need to get to her stashed weapons in the forest. Therefore might as well herd the people to safety before getting to her weapons

"These people better treat me to a year of free lunches and dinners," Sonic muttered under her breath.

The raven haired kunoichi grabbed the nearest woman with a child in her arms and told the woman, "Run to the forest, there's a shelter there. Remember the drill!" The panicked woman nodded and did what Sonic told her to do. Sonic watched her turn around and head to the forest before she turned around and grabbed a man around her height carrying an elderly man in his hands, "Bring him to the shelter now, it's safer!" she shouted. The man nodded and followed Sonic's direction. Sonic continued to grab for a few more people who were running pathetically around, telling them to run for the shelter. Genos had told her before that all citizens have been trained to run for the shelter in a situation like this, but Sonic knew that Konoha never had huge monsters attack them before so they might forget these things in a moment of panic

Sonic was glad these people did remember their evacuation drill somehow her and didn't ask her where the shelter was. She realized that these people must have known where the shelter was but too panicked to realize that they needed to go there directly.

In a distant Sonic heard someone shouting while running and then another violent shake sent everyone grabbing for earth. It was utter chaos this time but then Sonic saw that the few people she had grabbed and pointed towards the shelter, were now shouting to everyone that they needed to head to the shelter too. Sonic watched as everyone ran towards the shelter's direction instead of running everywhere.

The shelter in the forest was a bomb proof place located underground. It was also fireproof and earthquake proof. She wondered what Konoha's track records was when it came to monster's attack. She knew that there might be small scaled attacks, maybe contained before it escalated to something bigger. By the previous scene where everyone was running chaotically around, with some stumbling down and falling behind, it was clear that they had never faced such emergency before. Sonic run after them towards the shelter, amidst shrieks and cryings. Making them run to safety was one thing but consoling the crying scared ones was another.

When they finally reached the shelter, Sonic headed to her right and in a hundred metres spotted the tree with white flowers. She had marked it as her secret weapons stash. Climbing agilely on to it she reached the top and smirked at her weapon stash. Now she could face any unknown enemy. She took off her sneakers and changed into her ninja gear.

FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE FIRE

Genos looked as the red and white monster which emerged from the horizon, floating like some goddamned angel wannabe. It was bigger than he had remember. It's head now four instead of two, and it was being protected by a transparent blue ball.

"Hello Hero from before, we meet here again," the monster said in its high shrieked voice. It advanced towards Genos slowly and everyone around him immediately took off.

"Are you here to cause trouble again?" Genos asked. He knew he should just blast his way to the monster and end this all. But he had pledged to help Konoha and right now he wasn't sure what the monsters ability was so he needed to stall it while he waited for KHA (Konoha Hero Association) to arrive.

This was one of the monsters he had faced in the Battle of Monsters. The monster which looked like a hybrid of dinosaur and bird laughed and landed on the clearing crushing the tents and all. Around them people were running towards the city center, Genos wondered why the KHA was not here yet, how would they protect their residents? They can't run to the shelter which was situated just behind the monster so they need to run to the other one, just near the city. Genos continued to stall the monster when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Genos-kun, let us help you. We will attack the monster with our combined attack. Bring the people down to the shelter. Some are outsiders and they don't know where to run."

Genos felt the hand left his shoulder and from his side Neji and Hinata walked in unison towards the monster. There was no time to fight and explain to the Hyugas that the monster was his former enemy, and since he wasn't sure what the monster's new defence was he just warned the lavender eyed cousins.

"Be aware of his fire jets, they follow you around like missiles. Don't douse with water."

The cousins nodded without even turning back and Genos turned around to help the chaotic crowd.

"Everyone, head to the shelter in the city. Follow me." Genos announced over the crowd. Some paused to listen to him but many more were running elsewhere, panicked by the monster's presence.

Genos then activated his thrusters and flew above the crowd and magnified his voice, "Now calm down and run towards the shelter in the city!"

This time a majority of the public paid attention to his orders and they then ran towards the shelter.

"Nii-san, let's go," Hinata urged Neji.

"Byakugan," they shouted after an instant their eyes turned to a clear white and the veins around their eyes constricted, making veins pop around the Hyugas eyes. Neji could see major chakra points on the monster but he could also see that there was a bigger layer of chakra around the monster.

"I'll go check whether we can penetrate the ball first."

Hinata nodded to her cousin and Neji approached the monster. It was almost three storeys high.

The monster was busy laughing confidently at the chaotic scene. It seemed overconfident.

Neji moved into his stance and surged forward kicking himself off the ground and onto the monster. He launched three chakra needles which hit the blue ball of chakra but they all sizzled out at the point of contact with the ball.

"Chakras don't work," Hinata said. "Fu give me a hand."

Fu emerged out of the debris and shot a physical arrow at the ball but was deflected.

"So the blue chakra ball was only protecting it physically, we will wait for Kakashi and the others. In the meantime distract it," Neji shouted.

"No problem," Fu said as she made a few hand signaled and expelled a swarm of chakra dragonflies towards the monsters.

"Little things won't bother me," the monster hissed. Suddenly the blue ball changed colour into red and released hails of chakra needles.

Neji ran towards Hinata as Fu defended them by absorbing the chakra needles with her chakra dragonflies.

Suddenly a blaze of fire burnt all the chakra needles down.

Neji and Hinata turned around to see Itachi Uchiha standing in a black robe. He had his two fingers together like a gesture of a gun and blew smoke from his nails.

"The KHA has arrived. Now let's see who deemed itself brave enough to come and disturb our peace." Itachi smirked and made a few hand signals before shouting "Katon!" A stream of fire blazed from his mouth to the stunned monster who was visibly annoyed at the new attendee.


	16. Chapter 16 - Blue Hue

**This story was written with no serious intention of making it into a beautiful, carefully crafted story. I present to you my final third chapter of Fire : A 2016 NanoWrimo project, which spilled itself into 2017. I have read tonnes of stories and never have I ever made comments about wanting them to stop writing. So stop with freaking annoying comments you trolls. On with the next chapter.**

* * *

The monster laughed at the little humans below, feeling all powerful in its blue ball of protective chakra. It saw about four people still standing before it, but it was not scared at all and just laughed some more at them. From the distance it could hear the whirrs of incoming helicopters. It saw that the cyborg had gone with the weaklings and that probably meant that more powerful humans would be assigned to face him. Stronger or not it did not matter to him, what mattered was that it was the monster of the moment.

It knew that the cyborg was here alone without the bald man. The monster had confirmed the news that the bald one was not here in the city and instead pursuing a much greater monster hundreds of kilometres from here. The bald one was scary and it destroyed monsters hundreds time its body size and strength, but since he was not here, could not possibly be here within minutes, the monster knew he was the king of the moment. He was invincible

It had a bigger aim and was not here at the city alone. It had something special for Konoha and with the devastation which it would bring later he could build the city into its new home, and Suna next, and Iwa later. The monster saw the potential in its plan and smiled even wider.

"What do you want monster, do you have a name?" Itachi called to the monster. The place was nearly empty as the civilians had escaped along with Genos.

Jerked from its thoughts the monster looked at Itachi. Itachi took in the monster's appearance, it was brown and shaped like a generic T-Rex, standing-on-two-legs-dinosaur a preschool would draw when you ask them to "Draw me a dinosaur, pretty please" The only scary thing about it was the smile on its face showing its sharp teeth, all wide until it looked like it could rip its face apart with a smile.

"My name is Zorda and I am here to take this city from you," the monster said confidently. It closed it's mouth but smirked nonetheless.

Itachi frowned slightly and looked at the monster from below the ground. The monster was meters away hovering in a transparent blue ball probably made of energy. He was sure that the blue ball was not just for shows, it was there for protection. And like all protective walls you need to find its weakness to break it apart. He concentrated and then his eyes turned red with three tomoes swirling in it.

"The sharingan!" the monster said, definitely in awe.

Itachi smirked when he heard those words and then jumped up and landed on a white dragon which came out of nowhere. "Thanks Dei," Itachi said under his breath as he landed on the large clay dragon. On the ground, a blond haired man gave a thumbs up to Itachi who glanced for a moment at him.

Itachi returned his focus to the monster "You have seen this before?" Itachi asked because he was intrigued, legend claimed that the last time a Sharingan was seen was during the age of his great great great grandfathers.

"I was not born of this time child. Now move over or I'll bury you feets under," it said haughtily.

"Enough with the talk, let's destroy it!" said another voice from behind.

The monster looked at the rest of the humans and noticed a few more humans or something which looked like humans behind Itachi. He eyed the new humans and registered each of it physical attributes. There was a grey skinned man who was half human and half shark, a man with long blond hair with a long fringe covering one of his eye and they were both wearing unmarked black cloaks similar to the Sharingan wielder. The monster turned to Itachi, it had heard of the legend that the sharingan can be harvested and its power used by another. So though it was a monster and the human's eyeball was far smaller than its monster's eyes, he was filled with greed to take the immense power of the Sharingan from the human.

"No one told me there's a party in town!" a voice boomed across the field, and then a lady in black leather suit puffed beside the long haired blond ma.

"Anyone else?" the monster asked as it rolled it eyes. Currently there were seven humans facing him and whether seven more or seventy their presence would not make a difference.

"It's an impromptu one, Izumi-chan," Hinata finally replied. Her timid voice was now louder and bolder over the tense air.

Hinata then turned to Neji and they both nodded to each other. In an instant they ran towards the monsters as Dei, long haired blond man, full name Deidara threw two white clay balls into the air. The balls followed Neji and Hinata and changed into two white dragons as it touched them. The Hyuga riding on the dragons flew into side by side as Neji cried "Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"

Neji and Hinata flew in a combined formation and then together they blurred into a white vertical tornado which hit the monster's blue ball. At the same time, the black haired girl jumped into the air and landed onto Itachi's dragon and used the dragon to further jump into the monster's ball while performing a series of hand movements. The tornado and the girl launched attacks on the blue ball of chakra in a series of movements.

"BZZZZZZZ ZTTTTTSSS BGHHHHH!"

Neji and Hinata came out of the tornado and landed, the dragons flew towards the blue ball and exploded. As Izumi landed on the ground, Neji and Hinata checked themselves for any injuries. Seeing that they were fine, Itachi continued to look at the transparent blue ball.

Despite all the attacks, the monster remained in the blue ball smirking as it knew that the blue ball was impenetrable. It knew that it would endure the attack but it was actually very very wrong. Hyuga's and Izumi's attacks did not cause the blue ball to quickly crack but the blue ball colouring which was earlier very bright had dimmed a little. Then the blue ball cracked and crackling sound was heard from various parts of the blue ball.

The monster frowned and vomited more blue chakra from it's mouth which quickly seeped into the cracks caused by the attacks. The blue ball quickly repaired itself and returned to its brilliant blue.

"Just as I thought," Itachi said.

The shark like man jumped forward along along with the dark haired girl as Itachi said, "Use all your chakra, we will cover from behind Kisame, Izumi!"

Kisame, the half man half shark wielded it's large katana and smiled, "Samehada will take care of it."

"Don't forget me," Izumi smirked and they both launched into the blue ball of protection to inflict damage on it.

Meanwhile Itachi saw with his Sharingan presence of chakra around the protective ball but he knew Neji had a clearer vision of it. He jumped down and landed beside Neji knowing that Zorda was biding its time to attack them.

"Neji, the chakra is alive isn't it?" he asked the Byakugan holder.

"Yes, it flowed continuously into the ball. But since it cracked under our attacks, it means that the flow can be disrupted. It'll keep repairing itself as soon as it's attacked. If we could attack from all corners even if it took us all our powers, we could have someone slip in and attack through the opening."

"I agree," Hinata filled in.

"We need to have enforcements if this fails, I don't think that this Zorda is here alone. It's waiting for someone, or maybe it's just a diversion," Itachi said.

"I'll roger for the rest of the crew to be on standby, the have detected advancements in central city," Hinata said.

"Roger that," Itachi nodded.

* * *

KHA was newly formed, not even a year old and Itachi was in charge of unit Front, the first defence whenever something monstrous and unknown attacked Konoha. The military was not equipped with fighting monster as they were only normal humans without chakras flowing inside their bodies. They can shoot a monster to death but with this Zorga situation, Itachi had asked that the army be on standby instead of attacking the monster.

The monster was alone and had not exactly shot anyone or blown anything up. KHA's method was investigate first before defence and attack. Right now it was using attack as an investigation method and still the monster was unperturbed.

The KHA was unanimously created after the Battle Of Monsters. It was a pre-emptive plan as a precaution against monsters attacks. Konoha had contained most of its previous monster's attack because it had an informal Heroes Association formed by the Hyuga, Inuzuka and the few Jinchuurikis - wielder of chakra beasts, protecting it security. None of the attacks ever made into the news as they did not happen in public, the evidence quickly hidden from view and any whispers quickly hushed. But as Itachi became a member of KHA and old legends no more whispers, the KHA decided to make itself official - along with threats of more monsters.

* * *

Sonic was in full battle gear, she had her katana strapped onto her back, kunais strapped to her waist and blades strapped onto each of her thigh. She sighed as she readied herself for facing the mysterious threat. She stepped down onto the ground and jogged to the shelter which was not more than a hundred metres away hidden beneath some boulders.

She followed the movements of some twenty people running into the shelter and recognised that some of them lived in the same block of her apartment. Though Sonic did not give a damn about getting to know her neighbours closely by name, occupation, similar interests and everything, she took note of those who lived in her proximity. It was all for security reasons, she had claimed in her mind.

Ever since the Battle of Monsters, everything changed for Sonic, from living like a hermit Sonic was now having neighbours. There running in front of her, was an auburn haired woman who had two daughters but no present partner, she lived two floors above Sonic. Currently the woman was carrying one daughter while pulling the other alongside her into the shelter. Another neighbour was a middle aged man who lived a floor up from Sonic, he was helping another elderly lady to walk uphill amongst the uneven grounds.

Sonic looked at the scenario, everything looked in order as people began helping others to enter the shelter and not running haphazardly everywhere. She decided that she had other better things to do than watch her neighbours, and so with sure feet she ran towards the city.

The area where Sonic and Genos resided was a government housing project. Their unit was sponsored by Konoha Hero Association for a year until they decide to stay here for another year or leave. Sonic bet her katana on the latter, they wouldn't stay at one place for long, at least Genos would not. She was aware that Battle of Monsters had sent other countries and cities into a standby mode. Most of the cities and countries not far from the location of Battle of Monsters had formed their Hero Association and Genos was a household name by now. While Sonic preferred to remain in the shadows, Genos' and the other heroes had continued to be the talk of town. Genos would certainly be called by other cities even before their year at Konoha was over, and the blond haired cyborg would leave Konoha to help others. Sonic hoped she could be there beside Genos.

Now that thought surprised even herself, she was thinking unconsciously about staying beside Genos in the future. She was not sure if Genos would actually ask her to come along. Would they continue their little business operating as partners doing security details in another city or country? There was also the matter of Genos' best friend, Saitama. When Saitama returns from his mission, would Genos go live with him and continue to protect other cities? Sonic was not sure when it came to that.

As she ran and thoughts flew in her head, she saw in the sky, little blue balls flying in the air. She reached the central city, the urban area nearest to her residence and saw a number of humans in various clothings standing in a deserted road. Cars and busses were parked haphazardly by the roadside with none of the citizens nearby. He saw the man who had ogled her at the Uchiha company, where she had been to last week and he turned to look at her.

"You are here too? Now let's kick some ass," he said, His black eyes bled into red and he did a few hand signals before blowing fire at the blue balls. The blue balls were fire proof and was not damaged at all.

Then another man with a bandanna on his head leapt forward and shot little things from his mouth and hands to the balls, another man tried gunning down them while a woman blue ice at it, but the balls were not affected. Some changed it's direct trajectory towards them and came flying from a different angle. A few of the humans attacked the blue balls with all matters of defence, fire, ice and even tried to blew it away, but they still came at different speeds but still determinedly towards them despite being bombarded by attacks.

Sonic looked carefully at the coming blue balls and saw that there were creatures inside it. Someone amongst them launched himself into the air and came close with a blue ball, he sliced the ball open with a large katana and surprisingly it cracked open, but the creature inside it shrieked and let out streams of fire before it was being quickly shot down by a stream of fire from another human.

Out of nowhere, a young woman with long dark hair puffed out amongst the defending humans and she grabbed one of the human's arm. The person she grabbed had white hair and a mask over his face. The white haired person looked at the young woman and Sonic's was intrigued at what she had came to deliver.

"The balls, they are all made from chakras, the blue ball will only crack with attacks using chakra. Attack with all the chakra you can spare," she warned.

"Thanks Hinata'" the white haired guy said. "Everyone, you heard her, use everything. Hinata notify back ups."

"Right," she looked at everyone and nodded. Then her eyes fell on Sonic and the veins around her eyes bulged. After a two seconds stare she spoke to Sonic, "You have no chakra, you can't be here with them as you have no chance fighting against them like this. Come with me."

Before Sonic could answer the girl, she grabbed Sonic's wrist and everything became blurry. Sonic instinctively closed her eyes and felt something tugging at her belly and she was swooped into blinding white. She then felt like she was vibrating or moving in air and her feet were not touching ground and her hair was moving against wind. It felt like floating as her feet felt like it was brushing against wind. The feeling of being pulled around her belly continued until her feet touched ground again and the pull around her belly disappeared. The white light which she could feel despite closed eyes dimmed and she dared to open her eyes.

The first thing she saw was the hand on her wrist, and then the hand released her wrist. She looked up and saw the sympathetic lavender eyes. She checked their surroundings and found herself in a white room with a few machines in front of her. There were people in lab coats moving hurriedly around completely ignoring them,

"I'm sorry about that, my name is Hinata. This is KHA headquarters and I took you here because you are not equipped to fight the monster."

Sonic pushed the urge to curse the girl aside. Who was she to gauge Sonic's ability. She had came with her weapons and hunger for actions, but this girl plainly told her that she was not fit for battlefield. Instead of acting angry or annoyed she kept her demeanour cool and civilly asked the girl, "I can help, just get me back out there."

"You don't have any chakra. So I brought you here to get some chakras equipped into your weapons first. Normal weapons are useless," Hinata explained,

"i prefer to use my own," Sonic said as she grabbed her katana from its strap and unsheathed it.

"Sonic!"

Sonic turned around at the mention of her name in surprised tone. There in Konoha, was Mumen Rider not far from them. Knowing that there was no time to ask him why he was here, or when he arrived and more questions, Sonic just grabbed him in a quick hug and asked, "Charging your weapons?"

"Yes, and you look good,"

"I'll feel better when the pests are destroyed," Sonic retorted with a smirk on her face.

"I'm done, I'm going to pop back at the edge of the city, with the back ups. See you around Sonic," Mumen grabbed a pair of guns from a white clothed person and placed them on holsters strapped to his body. Sonic wondered at the thought of gun totting Mumen Rider. Some people did change after the battle of monsters and not just her.

"Yeah," she said. Turning around to Hinata while Mumen Rider disappeared from the room, Sonic asked the girl, "Now what do i do here?"

"We will charge your weapons with chakra, it will be done in minutes. Then we can kick their asses," Hinata said with a smile.

"Sure," Sonic replied. She did not what chakra was, maybe she had heard of it from Genos a while ago. But Sonic being Sonic would usually zone off when Genos started talking about hero and stuff, she sighed and made a mental note to start listening to Genos' rants carefully after this. Sonic began putting her weapons on the table and her thoughts quickly focused to the kinds of attack capable of destroying flying objects. She did not realize her thirst for battle was still there underneath it all.


	17. Chapter 17 - Trouble Trouble Trouble

17

 _Previously at Uchiha Works_

 _Naruko felt herself being pulled up and forward by the wrist, and she instinctively ran along with the pull. She glanced aside and it was still the man assisting her. She looked forward and it seemed like he was pulling her towards the hills a few hundreds metres away. The ground continued to shake as the air was filled with shouts and shrieks. More people were heading there too and then Naruko felt her wrist being pulled aside abruptly, but she managed to turn around and grab his hands and they stood with hands on each others wrist paused in running. They caught up with breathing and then she saw her fellow auditionee running past her. Her thoughts back on the event she was attending._

 _"What about the others? The program?" Naruko asked him._

 _Eyes wide with concern he frowned even more. "Security will take care of it. We have to save ourselves first," the man said._

 _Naruko watched as security personals ran past them, true to his words the security personnel were ushering the participants towards the hills. She recognized some participants she saw earlier but couldn't see Yugito Nii amongst them._

 _And then a siren blared and she heard the dark haired man said, "Oh no, this is for real. Come on let's run to the shelter."_

The man pulled Naruko towards the direction of the hills. They ran and ran until they reached the beginning of the hill. Naruko and the man dodged some bumps on the ground while helping each other out to safety. She briefly wondered why was she running along with a stranger, who earlier bullied her into getting clothes for him. The ground shook more violently and he grabbed her wrist tighter and they continued to run.

"Be careful, the ground is uneven," he warned.

Naruko grimaced. She did not know his name but they were now running to safety. She decided that everything else did not matter now as they needed to save themselves first.

The man pulled Naruko towards the hill nearest to a forest. Naruko rarely came to this part of town so she was ignorant of the geography here. But she knew that there's a shelter somewhere here. She had watched a safety video months ago which reminded Konoha citizens to be aware of shelters location all across town.

They ran for a good five minutes before the ground stopped shaking and the shrieks died down, and suddenly the air was quiet. Only the wind blew hard and noisy against their ears. Naruko stopped running and pulled the man to a stop. They both panted but he did not let go of Naruto's wrist. They looked at the too sudden quietness around them and the man said "Something strange is happening, I don't know why but we should be careful."

"What's your name?" she urged. She knew they would be separated sooner or later so maybe she should know his name. Maybe later when the situation was better she could apologize to him properly and start anew, maybe be friends.

"Sasuke," the man said while his eyes was scanning the sky and the ground for anything peculiar.

She nodded. Though she thought the name sounded familiar she could not at the moment recall it from her memories. Well, at least she got a name and if anyone asked about Sasuke later on she would be able to offer an answer.

Naruko then looked at their surroundings, she looked at the sky and saw that the birds were long gone. Maybe it was true that animals were instinctive when it came to trouble and would escape first at the earliest sign of trouble. She turned around and people were looking wary and angry. What was happening no one had a clue. Why the sudden silence? A few had now collapsed onto the ground and began crying. They did not know what to do and help was not around even by now.

The ground shook once more and everyone stood up. The ones sobbing stopped completely and everyone on the ground stood up their eyes wide with fear. Naruko flailed from surprise and grabbed onto Sasuke's sleeves and coat. The ground trembled more violently and this time everyone crouched onto the ground.

The trembling turned violent and then the ground exploded, grass was strewn around to reveal brown earth and a dark coloured creature. It shot upwards and landed on the ground before them. It looked like a black trunked tree with leafless branches. The branches extended as if they were hands and feets. It was almost black with speckles of brown, the skin wrinkled like the trunk of a tree, but moving like that it was sure not a tree.

"What the hell?" Sasuke shouted at it. A few other people cried in alarm and began running the other way. Sasuke grabbed Naruko towards him and followed the others.

The tree like creature stretched its branches towards the people, it grabbed for Naruko and Sasuke before they could react. It was quicker than the humans. Naruko fell onto the ground and her visions blurred as she saw the sky, and then the ground, and then the grass. Her cheeks scratched along the ground and she instinctively grabbed for the ground for stability but the creature wrapped itself around her arms and bound her hands to her body, effectively rendering her immobile. Its hold on her was tight and she cried for her life. The next thing she saw was Sasuke taking a blade and trying to cut the branch to free her. But the tree grabbed him and flicked his blade away and wrapped him in its hold, Naruko screamed with all her might but there was no one coming to save her. Her minds reeled to survival mode and wriggled violently to escape the creature's clutches.

The next thing she saw the branches covering her eyes and mouth and black engulfed her sight.

...

The creature had no eyes, no mouth and hence made no sound. It wrapped anything it sensed and pulled them down onto the ground. It wanted these living creatures for something its master wanted. There was no one here who could stop it, it laughed silently through its branches as it grabbed for the humans.

Army planes arrived and shot down the creature's branches and trunk. Some of its branches broke and it released the humans it captured, but more new branches grew and grabbed again for the fallen human.

From a military control room , Captain Yamanaka held tight onto his mic. They had been attacking other tree like creatures just minutes before this but they all vanished. They needed to move fast.

He ordered into his communicator, "Mark it and follow it into the ground."

"Yes sir," the pilot answered on the other end. The pilot released it's drone which quickly shot a tracking bullet and scanned the creature. There creature vanished before the bullet could reach it. The drone scanned the ground for any signal.

"Sir, it's gone, there's no trace of any movements underground." the pilot said.

"How can that be?" Yamanaka said.

"We couldn't get the tracker on time."

"Damn," Yamanaka said and thought of another plan. He better be quick about this the next time.

"Tell the KHA to send in the sensors," a man beside him suggested. "Take the broken branch, or whatever the hell to Inuzuka and Tsume can detect it. It can't get far, Suna and Iwa said nothing happened over there. So it must be localized."

"Do as Nara ordered, captain take the evidence to lab and send the KHA in," Yamanaka told his pilot.

"Roger sir," said the pilot.

Nara patted his shoulder. "I'll wait for the evidence at the lab and advice Akimichi on it, stay put Yamanaka."

Yamanaka nodded and Nara left him at the control room, along with less than twenty military officials sending orders and coordinating things. All the attacks were sudden, the military was unprepared. Yamanaka frowned as he heard an officer shouted a report about blue balls attacking central and south city. He forced himself to ignore it, Root were probably already there. He was in charge of aerial attack and he was damning at it.

The speaker crackled and the pilot from South City reported, "A bike is on its way with the evidence."

"Roger," Yamanaka said and pressed a button to notify the labs. He hoped his daughter who was with the KHA was doing better over in southern city. He prayed that she was in safe hands along with everyone else.

* * *

The creature slinked into the ground. Naruko was crying by now, muffled in tears and she realized that this might be an end to her short life. Being bound, without help, what was there left to hope about. She bit into the branch but it reacted by tightening its hold, that was all she could do. Darkness engulfed her view before it suddenly turned bright white and she felt herself entering a strange warmth before she was rendered unconscious.

When the army came the creature sensed that it better pop away to its secret lair to escape the army. It was defenseless against the army if they all attack it with all their might. So it had escaped to its secret place where it will absorb all these humans chakra. It knew that everyone here has chakra, the energy its master needed. It will bound everyone to its master, making them all unified for a greater cause.

The creature disappeared from the ground as the army came and reappeared under the ground of the water way, the wide straits separating Suna and Konoha. Its master could not be far since it was still too weak, which was why it needed the chakra.

The monster sensed its master and released the humans into its master's care. It would need to collect more as time was running out. It could tell it's master was happy but this was not enough.

The master sent a wave of messages to its underlings that this would do for now. The master told the tree creature that it would have siblings to help it. The creature could feel more creatures like it appearing beside it.

In the silence they all received the same message from their master, grab all humans and bound them. The chakra was all it needed, for the good of the future.

* * *

Naruko felt the presence of bright light returned to consciousness. She could feel the branch loosening around her and then she fell on soft ground. She felt the ground on her entire front assumed that she was lying flat on the ground. She squinted her eyes open and the first thing she saw was bright light coming from a much larger tree. She quickly turned around but the black tree creature was nowhere.

"Ughhhh, Agghhh," she heard around her. She supported herself on the ground and sat down properly, breathing hard. She shook her head and looked around, some people were still unconscious while some were looking at the tree dumbfounded. There was only the tree with the almost white trunk in the distance, basking in light. She looked around and realized that she was in a cave, but not really. The walls were compacted ground.

She got up to sit on her knees and turned around. Then she saw a head of black hair wearing a torn coat, his face facing away. She vaguely remembered that the head belonged to someone she knew. Then it occurred to her, "Sasuke!"

He groaned but did not move so she crept closer to him and then pulled his shoulder and face towards her. The sight which met her made her sad. His flawless skin bled from scratches and she knew it must be from him fighting against the branches. Naruko picked the splinters away from his bleeding skin and when they were all cleared up, she was glad to see that his injuries were superficial.

He groaned again and she swept his bangs away from his face. She did not have water so she could not clean his wound, so the only thing she could do was look at him.

"Sasuke," she called. He opened his eyes and looked randomly at everything.

"Hi," she said awkwardly.

He looked at her and blinked a few times.

"Hey," she greeted again..

He was in a daze and closed his eyes once again.

"I don't know where we are but it's somewhere in a cave or underground. How do you feel?"

"Trashed," he said with a croak.

She crept closer to him and tried lifting him into a sitting position. Sasuke tried getting up and accepted Naruko's help without any qualms. He was too disoriented from the attack.

"Hey, my name's Naruko."

He opened his eyes as he sat with his legs stretched out, back supported by Naruko's body. He looked at her and blinked again, "Hi."

They sat in silence with the others. Naruko counted that there were about twenty five people there. She did not know what to do but she decided that they needed to rest before doing anything. Help was on the way maybe, but they can't just sit and wait. The white tree did not move or anything and instincts told her that they better make a move though the situation seemed placid. Never underestimate a placid lake as there might be crocodiles underneath, her aunt used to say. She grabbed onto Sasuke and she realized that he had fallen unconscious.

"Hey, wake up."

Sasuke then snored and Naruko sighed. He was just asleep and not dead or anything. Naruko guided his sleeping body to lay on her lap and after adjusting to the most comfortable position, she also lay down and looked at the others. Then sleep began seeping into her and she too soon drifted into dreamland.


	18. Chapter 18 - Dreamlike

Genos powered up his rockets and flew above the running civilians to get a better look at the situation as they headed to the shelter. It had taken them almost an hour to reach the shelter. He scanned the area for stragglers and found no sign of movements, only then did he flew down and entered the shelter. Almost everyone was heaped onto the floor in tears and sweat, frightened and unsure.

The blond cyborg had herded the panicked citizens into the shelter in quite a disorder. But luckily they had stopped and listened to him. The escape could have been done in only half an hour if the civilians were better organized at dealing with an emergency situation. Genos could hear the emergency alarms blaring outside. He mentally sighed realizing that Konoha was in a bad situation when it came to monster attacks. Although It had a good track record when dealing with superhuman attacks but when it came to getting to the shelter in time, it was a failure. Still, this was not a time to lecture them he had a larger issue to pursue.

Genos stood before an exhausted crowd. Babies were crying, some were shouting for space for their women and children, while some were comforting each other. But a small number of the shelter's inhabitants did not look as scared as the other half, these were the ones comforting the adults to stay calm and remember all their emergency drill.

"We are all scared, this never happened before!" cried a man.

Genos looked at him sympathetically but he could not do more, he was here to help them escape and be out of danger. He wanted to leave them in capable hands and he looked at the few calm ones and used his magnified clear voice to direct them.

"Help is on the way, if anyone is hurt from escaping please come forward. The medics will arrive soon to disseminate supplies and take care of the wounds."

"I can assist in that," a woman a few feet away said. The woman wore a dirtied lab coat but quickly took it off and ran to the front of the mass. "I am from Konoha Specialist, and here's my proof." She handed him her ID.

Genos scanned it and connected himself to the city's emergency database. She was indeed in it. After he was satisfied with her credibilities he told her, "Take care of them, Help will be here." She gave him a firm nod and watched him exit the shelter.

Genos locked the shelter's main door and activated the protective shield made out of chakra. He gave the shelter a last look before heading to central city to face the monster.

…

Sonic looked around the testing room, there were several other normal looking people testing their chakra powered weapons too. She noted the handgun, an axe, a katana and a crossbow. She was not sure if they were with the Konoha Hero Association or not. They were standing along a line with a few moving target metres away in front of them, all were made from chakra to mimic the monster. Sonic was separated from the other individuals by see through glass panes. It was like a shooting range only that they were using weapons against chakra targets.

Sonic shouted a battle cry as she threw three kunais towards the chakra bubbles and they burst instantly. Then she did a quick fanciful reach for her katana which was tied to her back and ran forward to slice the bubbles. She did some fancy movements in chasing and slicing the less than ten chakra bubbles before bursting the last one with a simple wind blade kick.

"That is good, if you are ready then we can head back to the field," a voice opined from behind.

Sonic picked up her kunais from the floor and turned around to the voice. The lavender eyed Hyuuga was standing behind Sonic and Sonic wondered how long had the girl been watching her.

Sonic then remembered to ask about that one person who had been occupying her mind, "Have you seen Genos?"

"He's getting civilians out of the way, you want to to join his fight?"

"If there's enough men there I'll join another side," Sonic said as she sheathed her kunais and the katana.

"Ok then. Thanks for joining us. The mayor have declared war since the monster, or something connected to it had taken 25 people and hid them somewhere. Permission have been granted to use all our best men and efforts to save them."

Instantly Sonic's defensive button was pressed. "I'm just a civilian, but…" she was immediately reminded that Genos would want her to do this. Hell, she'd do anything to pay back Genos after Genos saved her back at the Battle Of Monsters. What Genos wanted was to help Konoha, and help Konoha was what Sonic would do.

Hinata then opened the door separating the testing room with the lab and Sonic was quick to follow.

Hinata waited for Sonic to start walking before she joined in steps and started talking, "I have been briefed about your background by Genos-kun when he came here a month ago. I found it awesome that you are proficient in the katana art… I mean we all need to fight now. It's us against the monster."

Sonic thought she saw the really fair girl blush a little. So she immediately downplayed her own skills, "With enough practice you can do it too." Though Sonic was unsure what the girl could actually do, but as she was a Hero she could definitely wield the katana if she had enough patience to master it. Sonic was a quick learner when it came to battle tactics though she would usually lag behind the first few times because from lack of practice. But this was war and Sonic liked a good fight and she wished the monster would give her a good fight, it had been a long time since she had a good fight.

"We have made sure that the chakra on your weapons will last for at least an hour before needing recharge. Our sources said that the chakra balls will only break open if enough chakra attacks are used on it," HInata said.

"Are the monsters themselves chakra proof or not?" Sonic asked. She really needed all the information now, intelligence is important here. Unlike during the Battle of Monsters where Sonic just came in and fight her own battle without working with the Hero which caused her early demise, this was someone else's town and she respected that. Sonic had changed so far from her former rogue ninja self that she even surprised herself.

"We have no information on that, our heroes are still trying to crack the chakra bubbles."

"Then I'll take care of that too," Sonic said with a nod at Hinata.

Hinata took hold of Sonic's wrist and they stood in a corner of the lab before she made hand signs and they reentered a blinding whiteness. Sonic felt a pull around her belly area and her feet being jerked from the solid floor.

* * *

Sonic and Hinata arrived not far from where Sonic was taken earlier. There were smears of blood and flesh on the ground and Sonic quickly averted her eyes away from the scene.

"What do we do?"

"Attack the blue balls with your chakra like you did back at the training room. I'll be at your side attacking and raiding, I can see the flow of the chakra with my Byakugan - my eyes," Hinata said as the veins around her eyes bulged and she looked at the clue balls of monsters. "These are far smaller than the one in South City. Now come on let's go."

Sonic turned to the looming monsters and smirked. She and Hinata ran forward as a monster noticed tham and started advancing too.

Sonic aimed a wind blade kick at it but the monster swerved and almost crashed into Hinata who ducked in time. The flying ball shook as the monster in it fired a rain of chakra senbon on Sonic and Hinata. Sonic used her speed and katana to evade the senbon while Hinata pushed the senbon away with chakra while evading the ones she couldn't push away. A senbon almost hit her foot but Sonic moved in time to swat it away with her katana.

"Nice save. Now you attack and I'll find an opening," Hinata yelled.

Sonic smirked and aimed five kunais at it and when it launched kicking one, two, three, four and five kunai in lightning speed at the ball. Each of her chakra enhanced kunai reached the ball and cracked it above, middle and under the surface of the ball. Less than a second all the kunais hit the monster's chakra ball and made holes in it, Sonic broke the ball with her chakra katana. The monster tried swerving away but Hinata jumped ahead and shielded herself with chakra and reached into the broken layer. She touched the monster's chakra point and the monster howled. The blue ball disappeared abruptly and the monster fell to the ground. Both woman were surprised but they did not stop and Sonic aimed her katana at the monster's neck, aiming for it's artery.

"Give up humansss," it hissed though it was in the losing side.

"Tell us where you took the humans," Hinata demanded. She stood with arms in defence ready to hit another chakra pressure point.

"Never," the monster hissed as it tried to get up and reach for Hinata.

Sonic quickly moved the katana closer with its blade only millimetres away from the skin of the monster's neck. "Tell her, or i will slice you apart.

"We are easily replaceable, we won't break what our masters need. More will come for you," it gurgled like it was laughing at them.

"In that case, say goodbye," Sonic said and she sliced the neck of the monster open. As soon as the neck was cut open, no blood came out only slimy innards. The monster went limp when Sonic's katana decapitated the neck.

"That's weird," Hinata huffed. She peered at the carcass with her Byakugan and trailed something Sonic could not see starting from the monster and then towards the ground.

"Can you see that?" Hinata asked Sonic without looking at SOnic but at the other direction.

"No, what?" Sonic asked confused. She wiped the slimy edge of her katana on her body suit, but the slime seemed to evaporated and she eyed her katana curiously.

"I can see chakra flowing back into the earth. We better kill another one to see whether my theory is right," Hinata looked at Sonic with her Byakugan gradually deactivated.

"What theory?"

"That these are just distractions, there's something else here. We better find the real deal and ge to where 25 people are. Let's join the others."

Sonic nodded and ran alongside Hinata to join the other who were defeating with the monsters in a similar way.

* * *

Sasuke woke up with a heavy head but he was sitting on his bed, in his room back at the Uchiha residence, but with a blonde haired woman sitting by his side. He eyed the woman and noticed that she was dressed in a pyjama top without pants, and Sasuke looked at himself and noticed that he was shirtless.

"What the?" he yelled when he noticed his shirtless state. He got up from the bed, scrambling away from the woman like she was a plague. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I think I was supposed to be your girlfriend," she said handing him a picture frame.

He did not take it, but it was an enormous frame with a selfie of him and blonde woman, it looked like her, squished together. He had his arm around her waist and they were laughing.

"My fangirls force me for a selfie all the time, that does not mean you are my girlfriend? I don't have a girlfriend…. Yet!" He emphasized the yet seeing that he was supposed to find himself a girlfriend anyway, soon to be his wife.

"How about this?" She said this time putting the frame away and handing him a phone with their kissing picture in it.

"No, that can't be… and why are you here, did I drag you here drunk yesterday?" Sasuke asked her.

"No, I can't remember yet why I am here myself… or why I am with a bastard like you," she said voice trailing as she looked at him and then at their surroundings. She looked at herself and sighed. "I can't remember even going to a club, this is definitely weird."

The woman stared back at Sasuke and frowned. "Wait, weren't we at the Uchiha building, did you knock me out and drag me here. Revenge for…. for making your clothes wet?" She said and walked towards him. Luckily the pyjama top was big for her that she did not need to cover her legs from him. The pyjama fell to her knees.

"No, no that's not true, I don't bring girls home ever. Only one time! And she insisted on it, wait what's your name?" Sasuke asked as he inched away from the woman.

"Naruko Uzumaki, you are?"

"Sasuke Uchiha," he said looking at her and then at tried to reach for her. The first time he reached for her she seemed to be away from his touch.

"This dream feels weird, I don't what's happening but we better get out."

Naruko tried to touch Sasuke's hand but she too couldn't reach for him. She gave up and said, "Now, that's like a game of Virtual Reality, only that this game sucks.

"I don't want to be stuck here with you either," Sasuke was quick to retort.

"Whatever, don't be childish Uchiha. We need to get out. The last thing I remember was being knocked down.

"I don't remember a thing from before. Only that I was supposed to be somewhere," Sasuke said as he turned away and went to open a sliding door.

"What are you doing?" Naruko asked.

"Even if this was a dream, I don't want to go around naked. Here take these, the only things which will fit you anyway."

"No, I'll change my own clothes," Naruko said as she closed her eyes and her pyjama top changed into a pair of long sleeved shirt and jogger pants.

"Woah? What?" Sasuke jumped back and the clothes in his head fell to the floor.

"I have been asking myself since I woke up, it's really like a real virtual game. When I asked myself who you were, the picture frame appeared on the bed. I was scared at first and i shook you but you did not wake up at all. I thought about going out but the door won't open. I tried imagining myself being somewhere else but when I opened my eyes I was still here. Then I imagined myself wearing jeans and shirt and this happened, but that's all. I couldn't get out and I couldn't have a gun appear or anything else. I sat there waiting for you to wake up. This all does not seem real but you did though you looked dead. I couldn't cry because this was too weird to cry over…"

"So what do we do?" he asked. She was taking this better than him and that made him want to be in more control of his actions.

"Explore? Maybe with you awake I can, I mean we can go outside. At least see what this world is about? Something tells me we are supposed to stay together no matter what."

Sasuke looked at his room and noticed that the decoration was the one he had seen before he moved out. "Wait, my mom told me that my room is now painted gray when it's blue before. I haven't seen it but …" his eyes bulged as the paint of the room turned grey.

"Dammit, you are right, this is a twisted virtual reality something, we better get out," Sasuke half shrieked and dragged Naruko out of his room and downstairs and into the kitchen. Maybe his mother is in this dream, VR, whatever, but she was nowhere to be seen. So they headed towards the kitchen door and surprisingly they were out.

The world outside changed a shade clearer when Sasuke laid his eyes on it. "What the hell? Did you see that?" He looked at Naruko.

"Yes, this world is changing when you woke up. It was a boring shade of blue before."

Sasuke looked at naruko and noticed his hand still on her hand, from where he had dragged her downstairs. He let go of his hand and stepped away.

"I think before we explore, you might want to change into more outdoor appropriate clothes? Not that I don't enjoy seeing your emm.. Body."

Sasuke huffed and turned around, he eyed his body and sighed when he noticed that he was still only wearing the pyjama pant. He closed his eyes and imagined hard that he was dressed in a sleeveless jersey and shorts for now. He opened his eyes and found himself wearing his sports clothes he had back in Uni, but they looked brand new.

"Ok, let's go," Naruko said and stepped past Sasuke.

Sasuke looked at the sepia tinged world and decided that it looked too orangey for his eyes and imagined the type of colours near to reality and the scene before him adjusted to a more white balance correct setting. He looked at a white car and saw that it looked white and he nodded. Weird that this world is, at least he could not remember how he got here. He hoped it wasn't something sinister. Sasuke turned to Naruko and saw that she was already meters away and so he quickly jogged to catch up with her.

* * *

The blinding white tree stood in the middle of the clearance hundred metres underground. It's roots spread out in many directions holding 25 unconscious human inside it. It praised to its mother already on her way to this dimension. It made the humans imagine happiness, things that they could not reach in their reality, injecting into them false ideas and everything they wanted deep down inside. It held them in the rolls of it's roots and sucked the chakra out of them. These chakra would help its mother reach here sooner and began their mass plan to conquer earth, beginning with Konoha.

One tight roll of root shielded Sasuke from the world, feeding his head lies, making him forget where he was. It tried to make him happy but somehow it failed, the tree knew this and found something inside the body of this Uchiha which was unlike the others. It would gift this one to mother, and mother would be very happy it thought. The other girl beside him, the one with yellow hair, it too contained something which he knew mother would destroy. But this body had immense chakra and so it cannot simply kill it. It will encase the both of them and when the chakra would be enough it will ask mother how to deal with them.

Bound in evil organic, in earth, far from their reality, clueless in their make believe world. It pumped the both of them with more hallucinogen but they seem mildly unaffected by it. They could destroy it but it was braver than mother thought, it was not foolish but it was biding for time.

We are keeping them for you mother. The yellow has fox in it, tamed from being blind for twenty plus years, and the boy had the chakra which was borne into it from mother. It was almost like mother's child, but it won't love mother.. Like how much we love mother.

The creature continued on and after it was strong enough it will send another. More chakra and mother will be happier.

* * *

 **Author's Note :** This was written in three days and isn't meant to be an epic tale or whatever some people thought it was. It should have ended months ago but it is not. It's silly but I am serious in writing it. Finally reached the 50 k marks and four months too late. Hahhaha. K bye.


	19. Chapter 19 - Play This Game

Naruko couldn't remember what happened before she awoke on Sasuke's bed, just that there was a sense of normalness, some kind of feeling settled about waking up to someone good looking, like she belonged there beside him. Then she noticed her clothes which was someone else's pyjamas top and wished that she could wear something proper and imagined maybe some jeans or shirt and then suddenly her clothes changed and she was wearing the clothing she had imagined.

In her surprised state she had tried opening the door but couldn't go out. She tried calling and shaking the young man beside her awake but he was not even awake. After an hour of mingling around the bedroom not knowing what to do, and unsure what she was doing she lay back on her original side of the bed and looked at the man's face lying beside her. She soon fell asleep until she woke again and this time a picture of him and her in a frame appeared on the table by the bed. She wished again to wear something else and her clothes changed into a long sleeved shirt and short pants this time. Next she tried getting out but the door and even windows were closed and couldn't be opened. Second time she shook the man to wake but he lay deep in slumber. She felt angry but the bubbling anger did not rise and suddenly a thought entered her mind, what if she wait until the man wake. So she lay beside him again and looked at his pale face again and was soon asleep.

Third time she woke she could only remember her first two attempts at escaping the room and then she remembered the photo and took the frame from the table. This time there was a phone next to it and she wasted no time to look at the contact numbers in it but discovered that there was no one on it except a contact named Sasu-chan in it. She tried dialling it and another phone rang a phone which was placed just beside the man on the bed. She browsed the pictures in the phone and mostly there were pictures of him and look alikes of him, probably his parents she thought. Then there were tonnes of selfies, the trend of the day. He was mostly scowling in pictures and rarely smiled, Naruko just felt like there was a deep connection between him and her though she was unsure how long they had been a couple or married or something. Then he woke up and freaked out.

Naruko always the logic one when it came to freaked out people had told him that she was unsure of what their situation but soon persuaded him to exit the room. What happened next was what she had guessed, he was her key to navigating this dreamlike world.

….

Sasuke followed Naruko out into the yard and she was standing in the middle of his driveway with her hands on her hips. Her hair was in a bun this time, he wondered whether she imagined that or had actually tied it herself.

"I don't remember agreeing to play this weird game," Sasuke said as stopped a few steps behind Naruko. His memory was still hazy he could not recall what happened to cause him to be here. He did not remember meeting the blonde woman for more than ten minutes before this. All he knew that he was weirded out by this situation.

"Do you even remember anything? I don't." she said. Then she merely glanced at him before stepping back and standing alongside him.

"I say we just play along and see where we end up. There must be someone around here too who is in a similar situation," she said walking ahead of him towards a house nearest to the house they had woken up in. "Let's go there, that house looked familiar enough."

Sasuke swept his eyes across the street. The streets looked like the street outside his childhood's house. The road was empty since there were no children living around, the kids were mostly his age and would move out by now. Long ago where little bicycles and skateboards litter the lawn now there were cars on the houses. Some had came back to live with their parents and bought cars. Some parents had even moved out to live in farms away from the cities and now their houses inhabited by the children.

"What should we do if we meet anyone?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know maybe pretend like we lost our keys and couldn't get in the house so we need to stay at their house for awhile before your parents come home or something?" Naruko herself was unsure. She was just guessing too. Everything in here looked and felt familiar but Sasuke was acting like this world was weird though he had admitted that this was his parent's house.

"See how they react? I am not even sure if my neighbours are still the same people. I haven't visited any of them since i moved out."

Naruko glanced back at him and said, "It would not matter because this world is weird and so everyone else will be weird too, we still need to see how it goes."

Sasuke grumbled and followed Naruko to his neighbour's door and let the blonde woman knock on the door. The door was promptly opened by a woman in her early twenties who saw Sasuke and instantly swooped out and hugged him.

"Sasuke-kun, you came to see me?" she squeezed him until he could not breathe and Naruko had to introduce herself so the woman would let go.

"Hi, I am Naruko we came home this morning totally forgetting to bring our keys and the peeps aren't at home."

"Oh hi Naruko, I have heard about you.." the blonde woman smiled and eyed Sasuke but quickly retreated into her house. "Hey come on in, you can stay here while Mikoto comes home. I think she went to the market."

Sasuke frowned at that statement, as his mother never went to the market these days. She usually had her groceries ordered online or it was Itachi who did the shopping since he lived not far away from their home. Naruko also entered the home but did not notice his frown.

"Sasuke-kun don't be awkward though it's been years since you came here just sit over there where the sofa have always been. Don't play the coy game with me, we knew each other since we were in diapers. I am heading to the kitchen for some drinks, watch the tv if you want." The woman pointed at a remote and her television before heading to her kitchen.

Naruko walked to the sofa and then sat down before she was joined by Sasuke. She lowered her face and whispered, "You know her?"

"She's a childhood friend but I stopped coming here ever since I discovered that she had been stalking me from her room everyday. She's creepy. So what do we do?"

"Wait for your dream mom to come home?" Naruko suggested.

Naruko looked up to see if the blonde woman was out from the kitchen and then said, "We'll see if she appeared normal to you and if she do we will test to see if she is a human like us."

The blonde woman then returned and handed them opened cans of cold drinks. "It's going to be hot when approaching noon, what time did you return? I did not hear your car coming?"

"Oh, we walked here as our friend dropped us by the other road. My car's down."

The blonde woman sat on the edge of the hand rest on Sasuke's side and massaged his shoulder, "You should have called me. I haven't changed my number since school, I could have fetch you. You still driving Itachi's car right? That old junk, aren't you working at Uchiha Works?"

Sasuke was feeling very uncomfortable being massaged by her and suddenly tried a tactic to escape her hands. "Yeah, this is Naruko my girlfriend. Thought I'd bring my girlfriend for a spin didn't know we would end up walking," Sasuke smiled anxiously at the woman as she took her hands away from his back.

Naruko almost dropped her drink down onto the carpet but steadied herself when their host addressed her.

"Oh, Naruko right? Sas's mom had been telling me all about you. Hi I am Ino Yamanaka, nice to meet you," the blonde woman waved at Naruko. Naruko waved back and then gave a warm smile at Sasuke who stretched his hand onto the air and moved inches away from Ino.

"Nice to meet you too, but I don't drink ice. Can you bring me something at room temperature I would appreciate it," Naruko said grinning hopefully at Ino.

"Sure anything for the fiancee of my friend," Ino said grabbing for Naruko's can of drink and going away to the kitchen.

This time it was Sasuke's turn to almost spill his drink onto the carpet.

"So?" Naruko whispered to Sasuke as soon as she was sure Ino was away.

"I didn't want her to continue touching me?"

"Keep asking her things then, ask her where your father is or something?"

Sasuke paused and thought. So far when he had played along with the situation the people in this dream had acted accordingly. They needed to meet his mother and other people too to see how this dream will turn out.

"Ok, I will play this game so you better watch out too," he said solemnly.

"You're my fiancee? Hmmm. I must be drunk when I accepted your proposal."

Sasuke was soon on his feet and was trying towering Naruko, "you think I can't be a decent fiancee?"

"Whatever, you were so freaked out when you saw me earlier."

Sasuke sighed and sat down, it was true that he was bad at reacting, He did not find it funny or comforting at all to see her earlier.

"I'll try to be more convincing."

Naruko nodded as Ino returned to them with an excited face.

….

Back in reality at the field.

Sonic had been doing great with defending herself with Hinata's cooperation. But soon her weapons exhausted its chakra energy and Hinata had to transport them back to the laboratory. Hinata had left for a while to brief her superior and left sonic at the lab.

Sonic was panting and taking time to breathe while the chakra were being fused into her weapons. She had nicks and scratches but no serious injury so far. She could hold for days if they were able to be transported to and fro from the field like this. Then Hinata returned and stood beside her.

"They seem to adding up by the hour, I want to kill them all," Sonic told Hinata, though her eyes were locked on her recharging weapons.

"We will eventually. I received information from the other parties that the blue balls were multiplying, they had it worse than us."

"What? When was this?" Sonic turned to Hinata.

"Just now. It looked like they were stronger than before my brother said. But we don't have casualties so far and that is a better news."

"Blue balls of chakra? How is their army getting all these chakra balls replenished? There must be some kind of a power source charging them, is it?"

Hinata frowned and said, "My superiors said the same thing about the power source… but we couldn't detect any huge power sources yet, though we have reports that about fifty civilians have disappeared underground but we lost their tracks soon after. A team is still searching for them as we speak."

Sonic frowned too. "Well let's get to the bottom of this on our side and then see what we have."

"Hmm," Hinata said.

Sonic was not really knowledgeable when it comes to monsters and . She was clueless about chakra, but she does know that energy has to come from a mother source and she wondered where the mother source was. Were they the only country being attacked, or was this an isolated incident. She knew Genos would analyze this and come up with an attack plan with the Konoha defenders, wished she could be beside him to watch him in action. That thought made her insides squirm and she now really wishes she get to see Genos soon and see how he was coping.


	20. Chapter 20 - Daylight Dream

Half an hour passed, or so Sonic thought, they were still blasting the distracting monsters with chakras. Their blue bubble like shields have cracks on them and Sonic wondered whether the creature were actually weakened. Did the cracks let the monsters be open to a powerful sever attack if they tried. Sonic did not have a bigger chakra powered weapon so she couldn't do anything than slightly attacking the monsters and defending their attacks. The others who had bigger chakra weapon were now starting to hit onto any coming monster with much more vicious blow than before.

Sonic spun around to search for the lavender eyed girl. She spotted Hinata crouching behind a wall with a man in white spiky hair with one eye hidden behind some kind of cloth. They were deep in conversation which ended as quickly as Sonic's eyes laid on them. Hinata came back running to Sonic while the white haired man in green army clothings did some hand signs and his arms emitted blue electricity or lightning like something and pointed at the monsters.

"Chidori!" The white man called out as the blue electric blasted out of his hand and into the cracks on the monster's shield and instantly cracked it wide open. Then two other person jumped out of his sides and attacked the now exposed monster with their chakra katanas and split the monster's flesh into parts. The monster screamed while the its counterparts screamed and then in seconds moved their direction towards the white haired man to attack him.

Hinata gripped Sonic's shoulder and said urgently, "We have to be on attack mode now. As soon as Kakashi blow the balls apart, we will attack the exposed monsters. Just hit in any way you can."

Sonic nodded and they headed to an area which wasn't covered by anyone. Sonic watched as the monsters reached for the white haired man which she realized was the man named Kakashi and waited for his attack. Meanwhile Kakashi continued on his next calculated attack while all the monsters zoomed in on it. Sonic waited breathlessly for her cue to attack.

* * *

Meanwhile in Sasuke's and Naruko's dream.

Ino came out and babbled about wanting to spend more time with Sasuke and suddenly stopped as she walked to the dream couple.

"You know, for a couple you both don't really sit like a couple. I read that if you sit not facing each other you've got a really big problemo, right? I like to read all these chic mags, they teach me a lot about reading people," Ino said knowingly at them.

"It's not like I ever need to convince anyone that I am in a relationship," Sasuke said with an in denial tone, though he shifted from sitting facing the other side to slowly moving towards Naruko.

Naruko who was sitting facing the opposite side quickly sidled towards Sasuke though still not playing into Ino's words with huge affection actions. She sighed dramatically before placing a hand on Sasuke's legs, "Yep, Sugarpie and me don't need to display our relationship. Our family and friends know it and that's all important."

Ino nodded in agreement and then sat at the edge of the sofa. "Well, you guys started any plans on the wedding?"

"Not at all, just enjoying it for as long as I can." Naruko said as she patted Sasuke's knee. "My mother said we shouldn't rush it just because we are engaged, she wanted the time to be just right for me. This engagement was a surprise and I did not even realize that I wanted him to propose until he popped me the question at the lake."

"Oh, you proposed to her by the lake, how romantic!" Ino squealed. "I wish Sai would do something like that, we have been together for eons now, but even admitting we are a couple took him some months to admit it."

"Yeah he sat a picnic mat by the lake o the grassed and told me it was for our second anniversary. I thought it was just us celebrating that and he was on his knees after our meal, it was rice and fish - he made it. I cried…" Naruko said dramatically. Meanwhile Sasuke's smile was growing tighter as the story went more elaborate.

Sasuke had a sudden idea bursting into his mind as he sidled closer towards Naruko and placed his hand around Naruko's waist. The single lady who had never had a man ever hug her like that, almost jumped from the touch but froze as she saw Ino's smile widen at her story. By the time Sasuke's hand was planted firmly on her waist Naruko was unable to continue her story. She blinked owlishly as Sasuke placed his other hand under her hand which was on his knee.

Ino's eyebrows shot up at the gestures and exclaimed excitedly at the couple. "That's more like it Sas, your mother would be proud to know that you've overcome your allergies towards PDA. You guys should do this often in front of a lot of people we all know. Then they'll stop hunting you and respect your fiancee too. Your parents are going to be proud!"

Sasuke tried his best to school his face which was best described as having a fake smile plastered over an enraged face. He took a deep breath before speaking to Ino, "Well I think it's best that we get home before my mother arrives. She said she is on her way home."

Ino jumped to her feet before replying, "Oh yes, she told me she went out for some cake tasting with her friends. Said she was having some cravings and also to help you along the way. It's never too early to prepare, right?"

"Come on Naru, let's go home. We can wait at the back while they arrive in less than 5. Thanks Ino for your hospitality," Sasuke said as he released his hands from Naruto's and instead gripped her hand and pulled her up. They both walked quickly to the front door and opened it. Ino was happily escorting them home and waved them off. They bounded down her patio and along the pavement while Ino shouted at them, "Make sure to keep the PDAs on."

Sasuke pulled Naruko along the way until they reached the back of his house which was a small field of neatly trimmed grass with white patio chair and table. He let her hand go as they reached the area out of Ino's sight. Sasuke promptly walked to the chair and sat down. He sighed audibly and palmed his face, mumbling into his hand incoherently as Naruko watched him blankly from afar.

Naruko sighed as she followed him to the chairs. "Sorry about that, I was just play acting, or whatever saving ourselves back then, I think?"

Sasuke let go of his face and shook his head. "What the hell was that, I can't even understand. I just wanted to be out of there, everything is weird."

"Well, since we don't know what's happening might as well do that. I have wondered about you, Sasuke Uchiha the heir? I wondered why people wanted you. Your looks? Ino, your friend seems like heads over heels over you though she said she has a boyfriend."

Naruko stood as she rubbed her own face. "I don't know what to do either, do we wait for your dream mother?"

"More like nightmare," Sasuke replied. "We need a plan of action here. Maybe find some kind of meaning behind all this, I am interested in what you were thinking before all this happened. Sit down."

"Be nice, I am your fiancee here." Naruko said as she chided Sasuke. She sat down as Sasuke watched her.

Sasuke wasted no time to continue talk, "Ok, so you wanted about me. I… I had an epiphany about finding a wife before all of this happened. Is this a reflection of that?"

"Wait, I wonder if I can wake up from this dream. Let me do something first," Naruko said as she pinched her hand before screaming in pain. "Darn, that hurts." She looked up at Sasuke and pinched his thigh this time.

"Damn, it what… it hurts you…" Sasuke gritted his teeth before he rubbed his pinched thigh. Just then the roar of a car's engine was heard as the vehicle was pulled into somewhere nearby and the engine stopped.

"Sasuke honey, you're home?"

Sasuke and Naruko's head automatically spun towards the voice's direction as a woman in a floral dress and sunglasses walked towards them.

"Baby, you're home. It's been a month and Naru dear, give me a hug. It's been weeks," the woman said.

Sasuke was in awe at this person who looked like his mother. Still he stood up and looked at Naruko decisively before she pulled him towards the mother for hugs.

"Well, let's get inside. You didn't bring your keys again this time is it? I told you last night before you get up to get Itachi's keys before he left this morning.

Sasuke made another confused face. "Well, you're here. So all's ok?"

"If it's your own apartment, you're in big trouble young man. If she works out of town, you have to come home whenever you're locked outside. You have to start being cautious about things like that, if you have a baby one day, you don't want to lose things like that. My poor grandchildren. But you have to be able to have your own space when you get married, so better now than later."

Sasuke eyebrows frowned at her words as she dragged them inside. It seemed like even this weird reality-dream mother also wanted him out of the house too.

"Well, you lovebirds go change and we will get lunch outside. I need to attend a function and you're both my plus twos. Go change."

The mother pushed Sasuke inside the house and they both stared at each other in confusion. The mother stared at them and frowned, "forgot your way to the bedroom?"

Sasuke quickly pulled Naruko upstairs and entered his 'room' before shutting the door behind them.

Naruko who was speechless the whole time sat down on the bed, "Is she like your real mother, she is pretty. So you inherited her looks."

"Yes, thanks. Almost the same. I think?" Sasuke said as he paced the floor.

"Hey," he asked Naruko. "I think I want to try one thing."

"What?" Naruko looked at him in anticipation.

"If this world really wants us to be together, we should give it us being together. But it seemed to not understand that we don't, I mean are not actually together. Like when we are at Ino's house playing a couple, everything was going ok. So, I want to try one thing."

"Is it dangerous?" Naruko asked as she crouched further from Sasuke.

"Nope. Come here."

"Ok?" Naruko said as she stepped carefully towards Sasuke.

"You know how Ino was going on about PDA and such, let's maybe try something. I want to ...kiss you," Sasuke said hesitantly. "If you want to?"

"Umm," Naruko jerked back. Sasuke quickly took her hands and pulled her towards him as they stood in the middle of the room.

"Ok?"

"Umm, I've… no…" Naruko was contemplating whether she should tell him that she had never kissed anyone apart from some ridiculous truth or dare childish pecks which lasted not more than a second.

"If you are worried about inexperience, well, I've only ever kissed a girl because I did not want her to cry. So in the experience department, none. Well?" Sasuke asked.

If you are worried about inexperience, well, I've only ever kissed a girl because I did not want her to cry. So in the experience department, none. Well?" Sasuke asked.

"If you think it would change things, then we should definitely try kissing... each other." Naruko scrunched her face at her own words.

"Maybe we should," Sasuke said as he attacked her lips.

It was only a few seconds touch, brief, no tongue, no saliva at all.

Naruko blinked owlishly again, she was indeed taken aback. Sasuke looked at her and then their surrounding. The room vibrated and the furnitures whitened out into a blinding white blur.

"What the?" Sasuke shrieked.

"Sas!" Naruko's shout went unfinished as Sasuke attacked her lips.


	21. Chapter 21 - Attack

Since moving to Konoha, Sonic had missed a lot of things and right now she realised how much she had missed the adrenaline rush of being in a battle. She was always in a battle against Saitama and Genos and it had been good times. Saitama always raised her spirit to fight and even made her want to be better though she was bad at training herself to be better. Over the years Genos had even beat her albeit through stupid ways like cutting her hair, mostly humiliating her rather than actually injuring her. Where was he, she missed him so much. But right now she was on her own, and with Hinata. She was a complete stranger but they fight good and Hinata was nice, Sonic did not knew she was capable of thinking of someone as nice before. Genos had softened her, Sonic sighed. She grinned to herself at the thought and proceeded to attack the monsters coming at her.

"Keep up with the attacks!" Kakashi shouted as the humans attacked the monsters.

Sonic saw a few more people appearing around them and releasing lightning attacks similar to Kakashi onto the incoming monsters. These attacks cracked the chakra balls but they still needed to get close to the monsters to impair these chakra balls. Sonic ran forward and threw her chakra powered kunais towards a monster and the kunais stabbed the monster in the chest. Hinata yelled encouragingly as Sonic then jumped upwards and rotated, and incapacitating the monster using her wind blade kick.

While Sonic was armed with kunais and her katana, Hinata fought with a foot long sword Sonic recognized as a wakizashi. As they fought Sonic saw glimpses of Hinata fighting and she was great. But soon enough Sonic realized that fighting on their own was exhausting and Sonic had not trained for months now so she was not really fit. She found herself wondering if fighting together would be better. This thought was quite out of character for Sonic as she had always been a solitary ninja, but being with Genos for a while made her appreciate the idea of a partnership. Sonic pushed the new thought away as she was getting distracted while try9ng to find opening to distract the monsters coming three at a time.

Hinata panted as she finished off her last monster as the three monsters came, but she had the thought to turn a second to Sonic.

"It would be better if we fight together," Sonic called out to Hinata. She then threw a Kunai at the first of the three monsters.

"Great idea," Hinata said between pants and then leapt forward to drop a few attacks on the pressure points on the monster's side with her wakizashi. The monster fell onto the ground immobile.

Sonic's eyes brightened at their spontaneous cooperation and as the next monster came a millisecond later she threw kunais at the cracked balls while Hinata capacitated them with her wakizashi. After the three monsters dropped to the ground not moving Sonic high fived Hinata. Before they could smile another three monster came with them, though these monsters chakra balls were cracked they weren't deterred. Sonic now wondered if these creatures were intelligent or just controlled remotely.

More monsters came and Sonic attacked with vigour. If they were separated and couldn't attack in a combo they would just attack with what they have. Soon Sonic found that the monsters on their side had instead advanced to the others.

Suddenly someone cried from pain but Sonic didn't dare turn around to see who got hurt, she thought if she turned around monsters would appear out of nowhere. Hinata scanned the area with her eyes, Sonic could see the veins around her eyes becoming even prominent.

"Kakashi, we are clear," Hinata shouted to the white haired man. Kakashi nodded and then said, "continue, there are less than fifty coming this way. Go defend the injured Hinata.

Hinata ran to Sonic and placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Our side is clear and I am sure of it. There is no chakra movement, we must move to the injured's side and defend them while the medic comes, OK?"

"Ok," Sonic said and soon enough her vision became blindingly white and they reappeared at another area of the battlefield.

Hinata assessed their surroundings, then turned to the man they were supposed to protect, before letting go of Sonic. Sonic took a few seconds to notice the man lying on his back with his arms spread, blinking but not screaming or moving.

"The victim's chakra flow is impaired so he won't be able to use his chakra now. We will wait for the medic in a minute. I'll cover this side, maybe you the other?" Hinata said.

"Nice!" Sonic shouted in return with vigour.

They both continued to defend the injured man while waiting for the medic to arrive, and less than a minute a team of paramedics appeared behind them with a pop sound. Sonic turned around and saw a sandy haired paramedic assessing the victim's condition physically. The other paramedic had lavender eyes and bulging veins similar to Hinata, and he was poking the victim in places Sonic assumed was the pressure point the things they called chakra.

"The victim, Omoi-san's chakra's path is blocked all the way, we must move him to emergency and get treatment started. I'll unblock the main points right away so he can start healing," the white eyed man said. Are you staying here Hinata-sama, asked the white eyed paramedic to Hinata.

"Yes until Kakashi gives the clear," Hinata said without turning around.

"Ok then, let's move him Nawaki, get him to your sister. Hold on Omoi-san," the paramedic said.

Just before they popped out of the scene Hinata said, "Thank you Hoheto and Nawaki, see you back there."

"Be back safe too," both of the paramedic said as they popped out.

Hinata and Sonic backed into each other and waited until they were sure that the paramedics were away. Sonic waited for a full minute monitoring her side of defence while watching Kakashi battle from afar, "so what do we do now?"

"Best is we move back to HQ and await further instruction. I couldn't find any signs of chakra unlike before, I say we make a move. But Sonic, you are not with the Heroes Association here so you can leave if you wish."

Sonic stayed quiet for awhile before replying, "Ok then we move."

"Ready?" Hinata said as she backed into Sonic to maintain contact and then their vision became blinding white before they appeared at the lab they had chakra powered their weapons before.

Hinata backed away from Sonic and hugged the Kunoichi with the tightest hug, she dropped a kiss onto Sonic's forehead and said, "You have been a great help. You helped us today, we are not over this yet, but I just want to say I am so thankful." Hinata then must have realized her touchy feely reaction had made Sonic stunned and turned a brilliant red. "Sorry about that I am just so relieved we made it back here after all that."

"It's alright, I am too. Thank you for helping me," Sonic said with an awkward pat of Hinata's shoulder.

"So are you going now? You should stay here and we can see what happens out there when we get information from command center, they keep watch of all battles in Konoha," Hinata asked as she took off her sword from the holster in her waist. Sonic did not notice that before, so she continued to watch as Hinata took off her sword.

"You have a friend here right, Genos? Maybe we can see where he is currently at?" Hinata continued to offer. "I am in charge of meetings and food here so I am aware that the KHA president had meetings with him a few times. He even offered me advice on how to remove stain from my white shirt the other day coffee spilled at a m…."

"Can you?" Sonic asked as a lab assistant approached Hinata and offered a hair band. Hinata took the hair band and tied her hair into bun.

"Sure, you helped a lot, let's go to the command centre now."

…..

POP!

Hinata and Sonic appeared beside a ruined field. There were remnants of a stage and tents tumbling on the ground like a hurricane just passed by. Some trees had their branches torn off and Sonic could smell something burning faintly.

"The situation as you have heard from Asuma is clear so I leave you here as I have post battle things to monitor. You take care ok," Hinata said as she pulled Sonic into a quick hug which the ninja had responded. Sonic could be slow but once she understood that she and Hinata had just faced a battle together she knew they were now friends.

"You too Hinata-sama," Sonic replied.

"Just Hinata will do," Hinata said as she let go. Sonic nodded and looked at the Konoha hero popping away with a wave. This popping mode of transportation was convenient Sonic thought but she deduced that it could only be done by people who have chakra.

With Hinata gone, Sonic looked around for signs of humans but couldn't see none. She had been told that there were only injuries suffered in this battle and Genos was not one of the casualty but the survivors were not here. She wondered where they had hid. Sonic saw a single tree a hundred metre from here and thought that the large tree was strangely alone as the other tree had been burnt down or branches chopped but this one remain perfect. She jogged to the tree and about twenty metres from the tree, the tree shifted and shook as if it was a mirage to reveal about twenty people sitting on it's branches. The tree was actually charred and Sonic realized it had been a camouflage. Someone jumped down and ran towards her. It was Genos, one shoulder was almost gone with wires and his metal skeleton exposed to the windy evening. He was broken but mostly ok, and Sonic thought that the command center's information was not on point.

Genos hugged Sonic, and Sonic wondered if this was even the real Genos. Genos then cupped her face in his metal hands and smiled at Sonic. "I knew you will survive,"

Sonic responded by rolling her eyes and said. "I am the best kunoichi in my village ok."

Genos was moving his hands to Genos' shoulders but stopped there. He looked into Sonic's eyes and smiled. Sonic wondered if Genos was going to cry, if a cyborg could even cry since he did not bleed, that second thought occupied her mind until she felt another thought. It was relief as Genos caressed her cheek with his metal fingers, warm from battle. He must have used his weapons a lot. Sonic wondered if they were cold if in a normal condition. His touch was comforting and something bloomed in her belly, being this close to Genos and seeing him safe and alright made her almost teary but she held it in. They were still in battle and no one had said if they were winning yet.

Sonic felt awkward and patted Genos's fingers at first, she had not been the touchy feely kind so touching as a form of comfort was not the first thing coming to her mind, but she knew what her instincts wanted, and that was close contact with Genos. It was now ad it felt right. So Sonic pushed onto tip toes and pulled Genos's face into hers and planted a kiss on his silicone warm lips. It was a half a second kiss and Genos did not react at all. She let go and as soon as her heels touched the ground a wave of whoops came from the tree. Sonic turned around and saw people coming down from the tree and walking towards them. They were bruised and battered and some limped. She turned to Genos and Genos chose to turn to the others to introduce her to them, "This is my friend from the cities, Sonic."

Sonic waved back to them and kept a friendly straight face while ignoring the fact that she had just kissed Genos in front of Genos' counterparts. She had always been an anomaly anyway even in her confession. Sonic's jaw dropped for a second, oh so that was what she had been feeling, this comfort being with Genos.

 _I like Genos._ Sonic forced herself not to blush.

* * *

 **Author's note : I might have addressed my genderbend Sonic as he/him/his Pardon my English. This time only Sonic's side.**

 **I will update next chapter with SNS side in a few days which had been in the drafts for ages, but I needed to fill in the blanks to get to that conclusion. I aim to enter Nanowrimo again this year but actually finish it on time unlike this nightmare.**


End file.
